


Chasing Truth

by Kaiyou



Series: CT Verse [1]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Anal Sex, Basically all of Seijou shows up, Fighting, HQ Rarepair Exchange, Karasuno too, M/M, Open Relationships, Poly Relationships, Relationship Issues, Sci Fi AU, Violence, and other teams, bokukuroakaken, characters lives put at risk, childhood illness mentioned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-02
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2018-05-24 08:30:40
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 63
Words: 202,673
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6147742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaiyou/pseuds/Kaiyou
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bokuto and Akaashi were some of the best Peacekeepers for the Fukurodani Corporation on the planet Aoba 5. Good enough to be paired up with the freelancers and enhanced humans Kuroo and Kenma. Which was for the best, because they'd need to be good to figure out the ins and outs of their new case: a stolen drug shipment that raises far too many red flags.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to Your New Life

**Author's Note:**

  * For [salsae](https://archiveofourown.org/users/salsae/gifts).



> This is the HQ rarepair exchange gift for Sae (salsae.tumblr.com), who requested bokukuroakaken in a sci-fi/futuristic AU. I'm jacking the AU from my original stuff, so if anything's unclear let me know (some information in the end notes).
> 
> Also note - I mark my chapters that have smut in them as rated E. They aren't the main focus of the fic, but it does happen.

The Fukurodani Hanger on Aoba 5 was a busy place. It was private, of course; the only people that flew into it were somehow associated with the corporation. Since Fukurodani had a powerful presence on the planet, however, traffic was still heavy.

New people came in and out of the hanger all the time. Most of the time, Bokuto didn’t notice them. They weren’t important. He was important - well, he and his partner. They were some of the best Peacekeepers that the Fukurodani Corporation had on this rock. 

Still, something about the pair that had just disembarked caught his eye enough to distract him from cleaning his gun - and it wasn’t just that the taller one had a great ass.

Though he did. Bokuto prided himself on noticing these things.

For one, he was pretty sure they were Alephian. There was just something about the way they held themselves, separate from all the hoi polloi that wandered past them. They were both wearing tight red and black skinsuits, though the shorter had a jacket on over his. The taller one had messy dark hair and a threatening aura. Bokuto gave him a nod when their gazes locked. 

Didn’t hurt to be friendly, after all. From the way the taller man had his hand on the shorter’s shoulder, however, it looked like they were probably together. Well, that and the affection that crossed his face when he looked down.

“It’s not like you to get distracted,” a voice behind his shoulder said.

Bokuto grunted. “They look interesting,” he said, craning his neck around to look up at Akaashi. His partner was looking at the others himself.

“They are,” he said, looking down at Bokuto.

“Because they’re Alephian?”

Akaashi raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Good eye,” he said.

“Well, my partner’s half, so I know some of the signs.”

“Yes.” Akaashi said, sitting down next to him. “You are correct. Though they aren’t unbonded like I am.”

“Really?” Bokuto asked with interest, looking back over. “They’re still part of a tribe? How can you tell? Is it some super-secret Alephian thing?”

A low chuckle came from Akaashi’s throat. “No, it’s not some super-secret Alephian thing. I’ve read their file.”

That made Bokuto glance over with interest, waiting for more details.

“They’re the ones that headquarters pulled in to be our partners on the next mission - and longer, if things go well. Kuroo Tetsuro and Kozume Kenma, of Clan Nekoma in the Tribe Dikastis.”

“Justice freaks?” Bokuto said, looking back over. “I thought they only left their planet to work for the KTs. Didn’t know they hired out as mercs.”

“Well, ever since the incident with their head family, there’s been a lot of turmoil in the smaller clans. I’d imagine those two just decided to strike out on their own for some reason.”

“I see,” Bokuto said, looking back over at them. “Partners, huh? I wonder what that tall guy - which one is he? - I wonder what he’s like in a fight.”

“Kuroo, I believe. The one with the dyed blond hair is Kozume. Kozume will be our computer technician. Kuroo will be your partner out in the field, so it’s possible you’ll get to see what he’s like in a fight.”

“Yeah, yeah, but I mean -”

Akaashi turned and looked at him. “Are you going to try something?”

Bokuto did his best to look innocent. “Why would I do that?” he said, pouting a moment before his expression changed to something more sly. “Besides, he’s not bad looking, eh?”

A bit of color graced Akaashi’s cheeks. “Of course. He is Alephian, after all - it’s part of our genetic makeup.”

“Yeah, I know, I get to look at your pretty face all the time,” Bokuto said, nudging his partner. “I wonder if the shorter one’s good looking too. Can’t see with those baggy clothes and all that hair in his face.”

“You should be professional, Bokuto,” Akaashi said.

“I’m professional well enough with you, aren’t I? Besides, if we’re gonna be trusting each other with our lives, well. It’s good to know what you have to work with.”

“I suppose... that might be true.”

“Exactly,” Bokuto said, looking back over and catching Kuroo’s gaze again. “And what the people at headquarters don’t know won’t hurt them.”

~~~~~~

“I don’t like this place,” Kenma said.

He was huddling into his jacket, sitting on one of the narrow beds in the room they’d been temporarily assigned. It was sparse even by their standards, just a couple of beds that folded out from the wall, a desk with a vidscreen and connection port, and a small shelving unit for storage.

“You always say that, kitten,” Kuroo said.

“It’s always true.”

Chuckling Kuroo crouched down in front of him. Kenma didn't want to look at him though. Looking would just remind him of all the reasons he already didn't like it here.

"It's going to be a good place," Kuroo said, gently pulling at Kenma's jacket. He let him, let his hands slide to his knees and looked at his left hand, fingers tapping out a rhythm.

"It's just a place. Everyone's strange, and so..."

"They're human," Kuroo said. "They can't help it. They won't be that bad."

"But I'll be alone."

Kuroo paused a moment, then lifted up a hand to run his fingers through Kenma's hair. "You'll be linked to me all the time."

"It's not the same. You'll be out there in the field by yourself."

"I'll have a partner," Kuroo said, moving to tug at the zipper of Kenma's jacket.

"A human partner. He'll be slow, and weak -"

"He's one of their best, from what I read. And I'll have you watching my back, if we need extraction."

Kenma just sat, letting Kuroo ease the jacket down off his shoulders and toss it onto the other bed. He was the one who felt weak right now. "That's not enough," he finally said.

"It will be. It'll be fine. Besides, who else is going to manage the computer stuff better than you? You'll be fighting battles on your own field, and I won't be able to be with you for that."

"Yeah, but that’s -"

Different. Safer. Kenma glanced up at Kuroo then, communicating without words.

Kuroo answered back with a wry little grin, tugging at the zipper of the top of Kenma's skinsuit a moment until Kenma gave a slight nod and looked down.

"I won't be able to be there if you're in danger," Kenma said finally. "If we're too late..."

Long fingers pushed the fabric of his top down and over his shoulders, coming back up to trace the bumps and ridges of scar tissue that covered the top of his right shoulder and trailed down over his chest. They both knew what it was like to be too late.

Kuroo leaned forward and kissed the ruined flesh like he always did, like at some point his kisses would convince Kenma that the scar wasn't ugly. It was though. It was an ugly reminder that he'd been too slow, that they'd barely been lucky enough to make it out alive. He could still remember the face of the insurgent who'd ambushed them, remembered jumping to try and make sure the round aimed at Kuroo's heart missed. He hadn't even seen the acid trap until it exploded.

He was lucky he'd been wearing a helmet, or else his shoulder wouldn't be the only thing that was ruined.

"You won't be too late," Kuroo said, looking up at him. "We're just going to be on a team again."

"Not our team," Kenma said, letting his head fall.

There was too much sadness in him right now. Too many memories, regrets, and silenced hopes. Sometimes he didn't know why Kuroo didn't just leave him be, walk out and wait till the mood passed and Kenma was fit to be around people again. Some days he pushed it hard enough that Kuroo actually did leave.

Those were miserable days.

Today, though, Kuroo just eased him back onto the bed and finished undressing him, letting Kenma watch him in silence as he finished taking off his own clothes.

"Scoot over," Kuroo said. "Hopefully our next quarters will have a bigger bed."

Kenma just nodded, starting to curl on his side facing the wall until Kuroo tugged him to lie on his back. Kenma closed his eyes, feeling passive as Kuroo kissed him. He let him deepen the kiss, feeling the way Kuroo's fingers traced over his side. He wasn't really in the mood for anything, but Kuroo was warm. Kuroo knew him. Kuroo was kissing down to his scars again, as if he could heal them.

It was possible. If they'd been different, a different tribe -

But they weren't, and Kenma didn't really want his scars healed anyway.

Kuroo didn't stop. His mouth traced patterns over Kenma's skin in counterpart to his fingertips, speaking a language that they both knew by heart. He wasn't asking for more. Today, that made Kenma grateful. Selfish, but grateful.

He threw an arm up over his eyes as Kuroo made his way down, massaging and kissing and marking his skin. Kenma knew Kuroo needed this as much as he did, really - needed to remind himself that Kenma was still alive, still here, still his. It was an easy indulgence for Kenma to grant, today at least.

He'd give anything to Kuroo. Anything he could.

It would never be enough.

"You're beautiful," Kuroo said, pushing up. 

Kenma knew he was looking down at him. He wasn't surprised at the press of lips to his own mouth, just moved his arm so that it didn't get in the way. It was a slow and easy kiss. Kuroo pressed against him, letting their bodies rest together, skin to skin. If Kenma could he would always want to be like this. Close enough to feel Kuroo's breath.

That probably wasn't true. Some moments even Kuroo was too much. But it was a nice fiction, and right now he'd take it.

Slowly he eased his arms down around Kuroo's back, letting his fingertips trace over the skin that stretched across muscles and bone. There were pictures on that skin, he knew, lines and curves and beauty. He could spend hours running his fingers over those patterns, watching them in the light. They knew so many languages together. Skin on skin was the easiest, though.

Kuroo broke the kiss, giving another small one before saying, "We should get some sleep before tomorrow. It’s going to be a big day."

Kenma nodded, waiting for Kuroo to lift up before turning onto his side. The language of sleep was something they knew well too, different words for different spaces and different nights. On nights like these, Kenma always felt best with Kuroo pressed firmly to his back, knees tucked behind knees, Kuroo's large hand curled around his chest like he was holding his heart. Kuroo huffed a bit to get stray hairs out of his face before pressing a kiss to Kenma's neck.

"Will you dream?" Kuroo asked.

"Maybe. Probably not."

That was a lie and they both knew it. Any dreams tonight would probably turn into nightmares, where fears he pushed down in the day would try to rise up and claim him.

Kuroo would be there to fight them off, though.

Always had been.

It was a comforting thought, and for a moment Kenma could pretend that always had been meant the same thing as always would be.

~~~~~~~

"Oh ho ho!" was the probably going to be the thing Kuroo thought of first when it came to his new partner. The loud one, anyways.

It seemed to be Bokuto's favorite saying.

It was the first thing that he'd said when Kuroo and Kenma had walked into the meeting with their new teammates. Kuroo had remembered the guy - both from the picture in the file Kenma had showed him and also from the hangar when they arrived. The other one - the quiet one - looked better in person than in his photographs.

Bokuto was -

Well.

Bokuto was all motion, and action, and words. He was leading them onto a ship now.

"This is where we'll live," Bokuto said, "as well as work. Hope you don't mind the close quarters. We have separate rooms, of course - unless you two want to share?"

Kuroo wasn't sure if he liked the way the human was looking at Kenma when he said that. No one here should have a problem with them being together - it wasn't like back home - but if Kuroo knew anything, it was that anyone could be an asshole.

It would be just his luck if their new captain was one of them.

"There's a shared kitchen down there," Bokuto said, motioning down one hall, "as well as rooms for sleeping. All the rooms are keyed to open to me because I'm the captain, but don't worry. That's just in case of emergencies. Bikes and equipment are down this way - you do ride, don't you?"

"Yes," Kuroo answered, glancing down at Kenma to see how he was doing. He'd been silent the whole morning, but watchful, so he was probably ok.

The fourth member of their group - Akaashi - was trailing behind them. He was quiet as well. Then again, with Bokuto around, it was a wonder anyone else got a word in edgewise.

"Good, good. Oh, and up here's the main control room," Bokuto said, leading them inside. "Akaashi sits up here, and so over there, Kozume, will be - eh?"

Kuroo stifled a laugh. Yeah, Kenma was alright.

He'd evidently figured out pretty quick which station was his, and was already seated, fingers flying over the screens to log in.

"Ah, Akaashi will probably have to -" Bokuto started, looking around helplessly for his teammate.

"It appears," Akaashi said, moving over to glance at Kenma's screens, "That he's found his way in just fine."

"You did ask for the best," Kuroo said, watching as Kenma's head tilted to the side in slight acknowledgement of the complement.

"Yeah, yeah," Bokuto said, still staring at Kenma's screens. 

It was amusing, but Kuroo also knew that Kenma wasn't overly fond of having strangers watch him work. "Maybe you could show me the equipment room, Bokuto?" he asked.

"What? Oh, yeah, sure," Bokuto responded, looking back over at him with a sheepish grin. That was different. "You two be alright in here, Akaashi?"

"We'll be fine, Bokuto-san," Akaashi replied.

Kuroo hoped they would be. He hated leaving Kenma alone with a strange man. It was an irrational feeling. If anyone could take care of himself, it was Kenma - especially against someone unaugmented. 

He followed Bokuto out of the room and into the corridor. 

"So, that Kozume," Bokuto said. "How long have you known him?"

"All our lives," Kuroo said. He made note of the hallways they walked down, grey metal with occasional patches of color to break things up. 

"Ah, lucky, lucky." Bokuto said. "He seems like the quiet type. Akaashi is too - well, most of the time. Heh. Sometimes he can be really loud."

Kuroo wasn't sure what to make of the look Bokuto shot him with that statement. Was he saying - 

Huh. Well that would be interesting. Might make him have to revamp a few ideas about the guy.

"This is our practice room," Bokuto said, opening up a door into a large space covered with padded flooring. "We can work out, lift, spar - whatever's needed. I'm assuming you guys need to work out, even with your, ah, abilities."

"Yeah," Kuroo said, smirking. 

Most of the humans he'd worked with before weren't quite so naive about what it meant to be Alephian. They didn't know the details, of course - no one outside of Aleph really knew what made them what they were - but learned pretty fast that just because someone was a Dikastis that didn't mean they had superpowers. Sure, he had an edge in strength and speed, but Kuroo still needed to train just like anyone else.

"Huh," Bokuto said, turning to give him a slow look up and down. 

Kuroo posed, looking at the other just as blatantly. There didn't seem to be anything outright flirtatious in Bokuto's gaze, though. It was more of an assessing look, with a hint of challenge.

"You know," Bokuto said, glancing up at him, "I always like to get to know my partners before I go out with em. Get a taste of who's gonna be watchin my back. You game?"

"Well," Kuroo said, "I wouldn't want to hurt you."

The grin Bokuto shot back at him was positively predatory. "Oh, I'm not too worried," he said. "I'm pretty sure I'll be able to hold my own. Though you're welcome to prove me wrong."

"I'll do my best," Kuroo said, smirking.


	2. Getting To Know You

"I hope they'll be alright," Akaashi murmured.

The sound Kozume made in reply was small, and just a second too late, almost as if he'd had to remember to make a noise at all. It was interesting to Akaashi. Then again, most everything about their two new partners was interesting. He was still trying to sort out the reasons why.

Part of it, of course was that they were Alephian. If Akaashi was honest, that was a big part. His father had been Alephian, one of the ones without a tribe. That was about all he knew about him, though - his mother had met him at a party once, and Akaashi had been the result. Akaashi wasn't even sure how much of an effort his mom had made to find his father. It wasn't like her family had needed an outsider to help raise Akaashi. He'd grown up surrounded with mothers and brothers and sisters, and a grandfather who had always been very kind.

Sometimes he wondered about the other half of his heritage, though.

He'd wondered about what it would be like to meet actual Alephians all his life. Wondered if they'd know what he was right away, or if they'd think he was just another human. Was there a special way Alephians recognized each other? He'd tried to look it up, but so much of the information out there was nothing more than speculation.

Whatever the truth was, Kuroo and Kozume hadn't seemed to notice.

A million different reasons as to why had been pushed into the back of his mind. He'd analyze them later, see which was true after he had more data. No matter how much he wanted to know, it wasn't polite to intrude on another person's space with all those questions.

Akaashi was fairly certain that Bokuto would be invasive enough for the both of them.

He slid his fingers over the screens, noting that Kozume had managed to infiltrate into just about every aspect of their system. It was rather impressive. Not that they'd had heavy-duty security - oh. Well. It looked like they did now. That was handy.

At least Kozume didn't appear to be making changes to anything other than their system defenses.

Akaashi wondered for a moment how Bokuto was doing. He noted that the two other team members were in the practice room. He could turn on the feed to actually see and make sure they weren't killing each other, but -

Oh. Kozume had that open, too.

It made Akaashi chuckle. He supposed if violence was actually happening the other man would let him know.

Pushing up from his station Akaashi walked toward the door. "I'm going to go make some tea," he said. "Would you like any?"

He had to pause a moment before hearing the tiny "Please," but it was worth it. It felt like a minor victory. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as he walked to the kitchen.

Kozume looked up at him when he came back and set the mug of tea down next to his workstation. It was the first time Akaashi had really seen his face. The other man's eyes were so gold Akaashi couldn't help but stare. Something made Kozume's eyes widen in response, and for a moment Akaashi was worried he'd offended the other man. Then he was too surprised to worry about it.

Kozume's eyes had gone red.

Well, not all red. More like sparks of red in the gold, like fireworks lighting up. Akaashi wondered if they'd glow in the dark.

Then the blond moved, hand shooting out to wrap around Akaashi's wrist. It almost made him spill the other mug of tea. His skin burned where Kenma was touching - wait. Kozume. Kenma was too familiar.

"They didn't tell me," Kozume said, "that you were one of us."

Akaashi swallowed, feeling pinned by the other's gaze. It was analytical. Probing. Not threatening, not really.

Possibly.

"Only half," Akaashi said, watching Kozume's reaction. It was hard to read.

"Half," Kozume said, pausing a moment before continuing. "That fact isn't in any database I've looked at."

Which probably meant all of them, if the way he'd searched out every nook and cranny of their onboard system was anything to go by. Akaashi wasn't surprised, though. It wasn't like he'd had a father to list on a birth certificate.

Kozume's fingers slowly uncurled from around his wrist. Akaashi fought the urge to rub his hand over the skin. It was cold now. Instead, he lifted his mug of tea to his lips, looking down at the other man.

"It's not really something I broadcast," Akaashi said, looking around and pulling a chair closer before sitting down. "Bokuto knows, of course."

Bokuto had always been interested in Aleph. One night Akaashi had been posting some questions in a forum and Bokuto had noticed and asked him about it. One question led to hours of conversation. It was one of the first times Akaashi had actually shared these things outside his family. With Bokuto it was easy, though.

It normally was, with everything, except for the things that were very very hard. But even those were worth it.

"I see," Kozume said, turning back to his screens and taking a sip of tea from his own mug.

Akaashi wanted to see more of those eyes. They'd shifted back to gold once he'd let go of his wrist. He'd read somewhere that the Dikastis tribe liked the color red, maybe the two were related somehow.

There was just so much he didn't know.

"Are there more like you?" Kozume said, fingers flying over glass and expanding a video feed on the monitor.

"Not that I know of," Akaashi said, watching Bokuto and Kuroo spar onscreen. They both seemed to be doing fairly well.

"Parents?"

"Father. Didn't know him."

"Huh," Kozume said, glancing back. "You grew up all alone?"

Something about the look made Akaashi's heart tighten. It wasn't exactly pity - but it could have been. "Not alone, no. I have a large family."

"But no one like us."

"No."

"I see," Kozume said, moving the window with the video feed over to the side closest to Akaashi before turning to work in another area of the screen. "You don't know anything then."

The words stung, but they were true. "No."

"Ah."

Silence sprang up between them then, because Akaashi wasn't sure what to say and Kozume didn't seem interested in saying anything. He was too busy with whatever had caught his attention on the screen, typing faster than Akaashi could follow. Instead he just sipped his tea and watched the video, wishing he had sound.

"Oh," Akaashi said.

Kozume glanced over at him then looked at the video. "Huh," he said.

"Are they -"

"Not yet. I think they're just wrestling, for now. Looks like they might later, though."

"You don't mind?" Akaashi said, realizing far too late that his question contained more presumption than was polite.

Kozume looked at him with actual amusement. "Do you?"

Akaashi felt his ears heating up at that, and he had to look away from those eyes. "No. Not really."

Nodding, Kozume turned back to his work. "Back home," he said, "they don't like it. Two men being together. It's an old prejudice."

Akaashi nodded. "I've heard of that. We don't mind here - no one does, really. I grew up in a household with several mothers."

"And you and Bokuto are -"

"Yes," Akaashi said, figuring that the truth would come out once they were all living together anyhow. "We are. But we're open."

"Open?"

"That," Akaashi said, gesturing to the screen, "doesn't bother me. He'll tell me about it later, if something does happen. Probably in more detail than I'd like to know."

"Open," Kozume said, as if testing the word out in his mouth. "I like that. Kuroo and I - I guess you could say we're open, too. Although he won't tell me the details. Well, unless I ask."

Akaashi wondered if he ever did.

Wondered how open Kozume was, himself. He rubbed his wrist where the other had touched him, wondering suddenly if his touch always burned like that.

Kozume looked over at him as if he could read his mind. Those eyes didn't give anything away, though.

Instead, Kozume just said, "We have a mission."

"Oh?"

Kozume nodded. "Drug shipment stolen last night. We've been asked to track it down and take care of those responsible. Should we let the others know right away, or wait for them to finish?"

Akaashi glanced at the two still wrestling onscreen. "Finish, I think. We can probably do some preliminary research while we wait."

"Alright," Kozume said, minimizing the video and starting to pull up other files. "Ah, thank you for the tea."

"My pleasure, Kozume-san."

The other's nose scrunched up at that. "You can just call me Kenma."

Akaashi ducked his head and resisted the urge to chuckle. "We shall see."

He stood up from his chair and picked up Kozume's empty mug, walking over to the disposal with both of them before returning to his own station to open up the file. It was only then that he let himself actually look down at his wrist. There wasn't a mark. No sign of what had just transpired between them. He found he was a bit disappointed at that, and knew it was completely irrational.

Maybe later.

They would be spending quite a bit of time alone.

~~~~~~

Fighting Kuroo was hard.

Bokuto was good. He knew he was good. He had the medals and awards to prove it. He'd always wondered what fighting a full-on Alephian would be like. The fact that his opponent was a Dikastis, who were known for their physical abilities, was incredible.

And painful.

Bokuto crouched, circling across from Kuroo. He licked the blood from where his lip had broken from one of the other man's successful punches. Kuroo was bleeding too, though most of their blows would be shown in bruises. Bokuto liked it.

He grinned, watching surprise and interest blossom in Kuroo's eyes. They were both competitive. Aggressive. And, Bokuto thought as his eyes trailed down the other's body, Kuroo was...

Hard?

Fuck. That distracted him long enough for Kuroo to manage to land him on his back with a blow to the chest. He followed up by straddling him, pinning Bokuto's hands to the ground.

"Do you always lose your concentration in the middle of a fight?" Kuroo said, smirking down at him.

"What? Ah, no!" Bokuto said, cheeks heating up. "It's just that you're -"

"What, incredibly hot, eh?"

Bokuto gaped up at him, watching as Kuroo's eyebrows wagged back and forth in a way that definitely shouldn't be considered sexy. "You're hard," he blurted out.

"Eh?" Kuroo said, shock etched into his face. Then he was scrambling backwards off of Bokuto, cheeks red. "I - it's natural - you are too!"

Looking down at where Kuroo was pointing, Bokuto noticed he was, in fact, hard.

That was unexpected. 

Well, not entirely. Kuroo was, in fact, incredibly hot. But still...

He glanced up at the camera in the corner of the room, flushing with embarrassment.

"What?" Kuroo asked, following his gaze and letting out a strangled gasp. "Is that a -"

"Camera," Bokuto said, nodding. "Yep. There's cameras in every room in the ship."

"Every room?" Kuroo asked, sounding a bit scandalized.

"Well, yeah. But it's not recording or anything. I mean, it's just in case something happens."

"Are you sure?"

"Uh, I think so," Bokuto said.

They both looked back up at the camera.

"Well," Kuroo said, "either way, I'm sure Kenma can figure it out."

Bokuto shot him a worried glance. "You mean - do you think he'd set it to record?"

"Ah," Kuroo said, tilting his head to the side in thought, "Maybe? Hard to tell sometimes."

A shiver went down Bokuto's back at that and he started wondering if the quiet one wasn't quite as passive as he appeared. Then he had another thought, looking down from his crotch to Kuroo’s and then back up at the camera. Gasping, he said, "Do you think they're watching us right now?"

Kuroo thought about it for a minute, then covered his face with his hands. "Yes. Well. Kenma, probably."

"Huh," Bokuto said. "Ah, he's not going to be mad, is he? I mean, about..."

"What?" Kuroo asked, and Bokuto had to gesture to make his thoughts more clear. "Oh. No. Not mad."

"Good," Bokuto said, "I thought you two were, well..."

"Oh. Well, we are, but," Kuroo said, shrugging with a half-grin. Then he got serious. "That's not going to be an issue, is it? Us being together?"

"No, no. it's fine. I was just teasing earlier, with the quip about - just wanted to get you riled up."

Kuroo snorted at that. "Well, I guess you could say that it worked," he said, gesturing down at his crotch in a way that drew Bokuto's gaze. "Though I'm not sure that was exactly what you were going for."

"Ah, at the time, no," Bokuto replied, dragging his attention away from the bulge in Kuroo's skinsuit and back up to his eyes.

"Interesting," Kuroo said. He was starting to look far too comfortable with this for Bokuto's liking. "Are you and Akaashi together?"

"In our own way, yeah," Bokuto said, finding that his pants were growing far too uncomfortable.

"Your own way?"

"Well, I mean, he's my partner."

"Oh hoh oh?" Kuroo said, light blush on his cheeks the only thing betraying that he probably wasn't as suave as he was acting. "You fuck all your partners, Bokuto-san?"

The honorific was just to tease, Bokuto knew. Kuroo had probably heard Akaashi call him that. The tease worked, though - reminded him of Akaashi's voice in the bedroom, especially when Bokuto had his lips wrapped around the other man's beautiful cock.

Bokuto would be the first thing to admit he had a mild thing for dirty talk.

"Not all of them, no," Bokuto said, mind helpfully supplying him with the fact that Kuroo and Kenma were now officially their partners too. Kuroo seemed open to the idea, and as for Kenma - well.

Bokuto was suddenly very very curious about Kenma.

"Would he care if we did?" Bokuto asked, feeling suddenly bold.

"Who," Kuroo asked, "Kenma?" His head was tilted back now, gaze speculative.

Now that the possibility wasn't just something they were dancing around, things felt more real. The fighting had been hot - especially since Bokuto had found out he could pretty much hold his own against Kuroo, at least during the time they'd fought. If it was that way without clothes, if Kuroo liked it rough as much as he did, then this could be pretty damn amazing.

"He wouldn't care," Kuroo said, seeming to come to a decision. "Well, and if he did, it wouldn't be in a bad way." He started to stalk forward towards Bokuto, desire writ plain on every inch of his body.

A loud noise startled them both before anything happened.

"Sorry to interrupt," came Akaashi's voice over the sound system, "but we've been given a mission, so we might possibly want to actually get to work earning our paychecks."

Bokuto sighed. Akaashi hadn't sounded sorry at all. Still, he wasn't wrong. "Later?"

"Definitely," Kuroo said, grinning at him as they made their way out the practice room and back up to the bridge.


	3. How Many Sides To The Truth?

Kenma was amused.

Kuroo doubted that the other two could recognize the signs yet, but Kuroo spoke fluent Kenma. It was just a look - one that paused for a very pointed microsecond on Kuroo's crotch - but it was enough to make his ears heat up again.

He'd be hearing about it later.

Which was good, considering that he always preferred to talk to Kenma before things actually happened with other people, but still. It was also embarrassing. Especially considering that if he and Bokuto had finished what they'd started in the practice room, Kenma might have watched the whole thing.

Ok, so that was also pretty hot.

It was also a relief to think that Kenma was comfortable enough here to be amused. Kuroo glanced at Akaashi almost gratefully. He must have done something good.

Akaashi wasn't looking at him, though. Instead he was explaining things to Bokuto, and gesturing at a spot on the other side of the room.

"What's up?" Kuroo asked, moving to lean next to Kenma's station.

"A gang hijacked a shipment of drugs last night. We have a lead on who they are - group called Seijou. It's a step up for them, if so. They haven't ever been involved in violent crimes or major thefts before, normally just petty vandalism."

"Did things get violent?"

Kenma shrugged. "Nothing major. A couple of mild concussions. Guards are probably more embarrassed than anything else. The value of the shipment, however..."

Kuroo looked over at Kenma's screen, eyebrows raising as he read the contents. "Wow, that's some nasty stuff. High street value though, especially if you can find someone willing to ship it to the deadheads on the in-between stations. Why was Fukurodani even shipping it?"

"No clue. Our job isn't to ask questions, remember? Just get it back."

"Yeah, but," Kuroo said, not bothering to finish the question. They both knew. Neither one of them liked dealing in drugs, and the thought that their current employer was somehow involved in a semi-legitimate drug business was not something Kuroo liked to think about.

Things were starting to go really well here. Kenma seemed pleased with his equipment, and had relaxed around Akaashi. Bokuto was - well - unexpected, but good. No one would hassle them about their relationship.

Kuroo didn't want to ruin any of that. He just wanted a safe, secure space where they could relax for once, and not worry about the past. But if Fukurodani was dealing in street drugs -

Well. They didn't have all the facts, and like Kenma said it wasn't really their business.

He looked up as Akaashi cleared his throat, inviting them over.

"You go," Kenma said. "It's just a conference call with the local Confederation authorities. I'm still working through things here."

Kuroo nodded, ruffling his boyfriend's hair before going to join Akaashi and Bokuto.

The air in front of them wavered a moment, resolving itself into the form of a tall man with wavy blond hair and glasses.

"Tsukki! I was hoping it was you!" Bokuto shouted.

The other man didn't look very amused. "I thought I'd asked you not to call me that, Bokuto."

"Yeah, but -"

"And plus, I'm always the one who has to talk to you."

"Nope! Sometimes I have to talk to Kageyama."

Someone stifled a laugh off-screen on the other side, and Tsukki - or whatever his name was - gave the person on his end a long-suffering glance.

"Yes, well. I suppose I am lucky enough to have a day off once in a while. Now, as to the purpose of this call -"

"Why don't you ever come see us, Tsukki? There's room for you here on the Owl."

"The Owl?"

"Yeah! That's the name of our ship," Bokuto said.

Akaashi coughed. "Possible name."

"Akaaaashi. You know it's the best name. Owls are awesome."

Kuroo found it amusing that Akaashi was glancing at him for support. All of this was far too amusing, as far as he was concerned.

"Be that as it may, Bokuto -" Tsukki started.

"You could even be our partner."

"Don't you have new partners?"

"Well yeah, but," Bokuto started, glancing at Kuroo apologetically, "I'm sure we could find a position for you, if you know what I mean."

Tsukki just sighed, and glanced at Akaashi, who hit Bokuto's arm.

"Enough," Akaashi said. "He already has a partner."

"I'm nicer than Kageyama though - and Kageyama's greedy! He already has the shorty! Or well, he will soon."

"Kageyama's greedy?" Akaashi deadpanned.

At least Bokuto had the grace to look somewhat embarrassed.

"Now, Tsukishima," Akaashi continued, "to our real business. You have information on the group that hijacked the Fukurodani shipment last night, correct?"

Tsukishima nodded. "And as per the contract that we have with Fukurodani, we will be releasing the information to you for the case, for your eyes only. Have the security protocols changed on your ship? It seems like we're having some trouble connecting."

"Kozume?" Akaashi said, glancing back at Kenma.

"Second - there. Give them that."

Akaashi nodded, glancing down at the screen next to him and tapping a few times on the glass. "You should have the new information."

"Thanks," Tsukishima said, pausing a moment and glancing to the side then nodding. "Yes, that worked. The data should be coming across now."

Akaashi glanced back and Kenma nodded. The sight of them working together made Kuroo all warm inside.

"Yes," Akaashi said. "Thank you."

"Alright," Tsukishima said. "Now. Just as a usual precaution, please be careful not to involve any civilians in your attempts to make restitution, and know that Fukurodani will be held liable for any damages caused during the course of your operation. Is that clear?"

"Hey hey hey," Bokuto said. "The hanging bridge thing last time wasn't my fault at all. And besides, now I've got Kuroo with me. We'll be on our best behavior, isn't that right?"

Kuroo nodded, ignoring the snort Kenma gave behind them.

"Sure," Tsukishima said, rubbing his brow. "Well, if you need anything else - and, be careful, alright? This is out of character for Seijou, especially its leader. Normally he's -"

The blond stopped and looked offscreen, looking back at them with concern in his eyes. "Just - make sure you figure everything out before you do anything drastic, alright?"

Bokuto tilted his head at that, looking a bit confused, but he nodded. "Alright, Tsukki. We'll be careful. Thanks for all the help!"

Tsukishima nodded. "No problem. Signing off."

They all watched as the hologram cut out before turning to look at each other.

"That was interesting," Kuroo said.

"Yeah. You hear what he said about the leader?" Bokuto said. "It was almost as if he knew him or something."

"Well, a lot of the confederation's personnel here are natives of the region, it is quite possible does," Akaashi said.

"Yeah, but," Bokuto said, walking slowly towards Kenma's station, "Tsukki doesn't seem the type to hang out with criminal elements. Maybe Kageyama? He always has that look on his face."

"That's just -" Akaashi started, then stopped with a sigh. "Perhaps. Any luck getting the details, Kozume?"

Kenma nodded, and Kuroo moved to lean next to him, watching his screen.

"According to the files they sent over, this is the leader of the gang, and this is his second in command."

"Woah," Bokuto said. "Pretty boy. Looks like he should be a model or somethin, not a gang leader."

Kuroo had to agree, though he knew looks could be deceiving.

"Huh," Bokuto said, leaning over Kenma's chair in a way that had the blond shrinking closer to Kuroo. "I wonder what made him turn to a life of crime."

Kuroo shrugged. "I guess we'll find out, right? Gotta catch em first."

"True," Bokuto said, looking at him and grinning. "Sounds like fun, partner."

Kuroo nodded, setting his hand down on the desk near Kenma and feeling the other's small fingers squeeze his in response. "That it does, Bokuto. That it does. Let's go mete out some justice."

"Alright!" Bokuto yelled, turning around and pumping a fist close to his body before doing a little dance.

Akaashi just sighed.

Kuroo liked it though. For the first time in a long time, there was someone other than Kenma who he was actually having fun with. The fact that the fun came with the possibility of life-threatening danger - well. That was just icing on the cake.

~~~~~~~~~

Iwaizumi was fuming as he climbed the rusty stairs up to the cramped room that he and Oikawa shared. Sometimes he really hated living on the thirty-seventh floor of this wretched building, where the lights were nothing but strips half-functioning nanoglow that someone had tacked up fifteen years earlier. At least it kept you from seeing exactly what it was you were stepping on.

These days, there was no telling.

Finally he reached their floor and wrapped his hand around the door handle, growing impatient as the old scanner read his palm and finally let him in. 

“Shitykawa,” he said, banging the door open. “Just what the hell are you - Oikawa?”

Oikawa turned and gasped, almost spilling the bottle he held in one hand. “Iwa-chan? Why are you -”

Iwaizumi took a minute to read the scene. 

His best friend was seated at their scrap of a desk. The bed behind it - Oikawa’s bed - was loaded with pillows and blankets. His own bed was stripped clean. That made anger boil in his chest, but what was worse - what was far worse - was the look on Oikawa’s face as he sat, one hand clutching a dark bottle and the other clutching a photoprint Iwaizumi knew far too well.

He growled, slamming the door behind him as he came inside. “Just what the hell do you think you’re doing, dumbass?”

Grabbing the bottle from the other’s slack hand, he looked at the label. He knew that bottle. Knew how often the past few months Oikawa had almost drowned in the dark liquid sloshing around inside. He’d promised to quit - had quit, as far as Iwaizumi knew. The fact that he’d been holding the a half-drunk bottle in his hand, and a picture - that picture - in the other, well, that didn’t bode well.

The look Oikawa was giving him didn’t help matters. It was a mixture of guilt and resignation coupled with weariness. No one else ever saw that look on Oikawa’s face. Iwaizumi was tired of him having to make it.

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi said, voice dangerously low. “What the hell. You send me on a wild goose chase off-planet, and then I have to find out from Hinata - Hinata, of all people - that you’ve put together a plot to steal a shipment of DX9-317 from the Fukurodani Corporation. Without telling me. A move you know will put you on their radar, even if you don’t manage to pull it off -”

“We did,” Oikawa said, voice lifeless. “Pulled it off this morning. It’s already been split up with different couriers and is making its way inland.”

“You already -” Iwaizumi started, trying to catch his breath. “They’re going to call it drug trafficking. They’re going to send out one of their special teams - the teams that don’t quit, Oikawa. The teams that are more likely than not to shoot first and ask questions later - and if they do capture you, they’ll probably take you into one of their special holding facilities where they strip your brain of everything and turn you into a zombie. Is that what you want?”

“No.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

Oikawa flinched at that, the first real honest reaction he’d had since Iwaizumi had burst in the door. “I wanted to keep you safe.”

“What the fuck. You don’t get to decide that for me! You’re my best friend! We do things together.”

“It’s not your problem.”

“Bullshit.”

“He isn’t your -”

“Don’t even go there,” Iwaizumi said.

They both stared at the photoframe. The face of a young boy, happy and waving at the camera, shone on the digital paper. 

“He may not be my nephew,” Iwaizumi continued, “but he is special to me. And I’ve been here, with you, for the past few months, every step of the way, no matter how bad it’s gotten. You don’t get to cut me out of your plans just because you don’t want to drag me down with you.

Oikawa hung his head. “That’s not fair, Iwa-chan.”

“You’re not fair, Shittykawa,” Iwaizumi countered. “You work up this scheme to steal the drugs, keep me out of the loop, send me away not even thinking about how I’m going to feel once I figure out what you’ve done - and this?”

He shook the bottle in his hand, setting it down on the table. 

“What were you going to do with this? Were you going to stop at just one? We both know how well that turns out. Or were you just going to start and keep going, since there wasn’t anyone here to stop you?”

Oikawa didn’t respond. Iwaizumi figured that if he looked in their kitchen cabinet, he’d probably find a case of the stuff. A gift, possibly, from some well-meaning - or not so well-meaning - bar owner.

“It just - I just - it hurts,” Oikawa finally said. “If I’d taken the job - turned a blind eye to what they were doing - I might’ve been able to get him the medicine before it was too late. Before they took him into that place.”

“But you wouldn’t do that,” Iwaizumi countered, gently taking the photoprint from Oikawa’s hand and placing it on the desk. “You wouldn’t lie to our people like that. Especially when it turned out that he wasn’t the only one sick, and all the other kids....”

“I just want to do something good, Iwa-chan. Be good enough for someone. Even if I’m not around to see it. That’s why -”

“I know. Come here.”

Iwaizumi tugged at Oikawa’s hand, pulling him over to the nest of blankets and pillows piled high on the brunette’s bed. Sitting and scooting back he let Oikawa curl up into him, patting his back awkwardly. He was no good at this. Didn’t have the answers that would stop the pain. All he could do was be there.

“It’s done now,” he finally said, rubbing Oikawa’s back. “And you can’t get rid of me so easy. We’re in this together, Shittykawa. Just like we always are. Got that.”

A few sniffles were his only answer for a moment, so he hit him in his shoulder.

“Ow!” Oikawa said, jerking up and pouting at him. “So mean.”

“Together, got it?”

Oikawa’s eyes were red and puffy as he stared at him. Not that it mattered. He was always handsome. Always Oikawa.

Slowly, he nodded. “Ok,” he said, a hint of his normal mischievousness glinting in his eyes. “Does that mean I get to tell you what to do?”

Rolling his eyes, Iwaizumi said, “We’ll see. But first you have to tell me. Everything.”

Pausing a moment, Oikawa nodded in agreement. “Later. I’ll tell you everything, later,” he said, hiding his head back against Iwaizumi’s chest. 

Iwaizumi grunted in response, running his fingers through Oikawa’s hair and staring at the ceiling. He couldn’t shake the feeling that they’d just managed to jump from the frying pan into the fire with this latest debacle, but for the moment that didn’t matter. For the moment, they were together, and that was the most important thing in the world.


	4. Adding Things Up

Akaashi fiddled with his earpiece and glanced at Kozume. The blond was monitoring their other two teammates, who were in the process of making sure the building beneath them was safe. Kenma had tracked down the last known location of the Seijou gang's leader. He had, of course, cleared out - both him and his second in command - but they'd left in a hurry.

"Ok," Bokuto said over their connection, "all clear. The scene is secure."

Kozume looked over at him and nodded that everything was good to go. Akaashi left the bridge and climbed down out of the ship onto the roof. Why he had to wait for the other two to get things ready he didn't know - he'd been the one busting into the scene plenty of times with Bokuto before.

Still, better safe than sorry, he supposed.

He hurried through the rooftop access and down the stairs to the scene, ignoring the way civilians huddled in their doorways and watched him. Not everyone liked the Fukurodani corporation. He knew that. Aoba was a planet under corporate management, and unfortunately, that management came with costs as well as benefits.

There wasn't anything he could do about it except treat the civilians fairly and do his job.

Kuroo was leaning against the doorframe, a gun as big as his arm in hand. That would probably intimidate any of the locals. Akaashi doubted it was necessary.

Kuroo looked like he probably thought the same thing. He nodded at Akaashi, then proceeded to scan the empty hallway again as Bokuto came to the door.

"Hey, Akaashi," Bokuto said, waving him in the entrance.

The apartment was cramped. There was a clear space in the middle of the floor where Akaashi could set up his equipment, pulling out a scanner and handing it to Bokuto. "You get fingerprints?" he asked. "I'll get biologicals."

Bokuto nodded.

They'd done this before a hundred times or more, processing a scene. Akaashi meticulously ran a vacuum tube over every surface, picking up cells and hairs that could be matched in their database. It was probably a fortunate thing that the place was so spartan. At least processing didn't take long.

As he went he catalogued the few pieces of evidence he found - a stray sock, a pill bottle that had been kicked under the desk and forgotten, a half-empty case of liquor in the kitchen cabinet. No personal items. Nothing to tell him who these men were. 

"Ah," Kozume's voice said, "This is interesting."

"What?" Akaashi said, glancing over at Bokuto. At this stage of the game, anything interesting was worth a moment of their time. Processing a scene was important, but tedious after a while.

"I think we may have found the link between the Confederation officers and Seijou. Some of the cells you picked up from the sheets came back with a match to one of their employees - a Kageyama Tobio?"

"Kageyama?" Bokuto asked, frowning.

"You know him?" Kuroo said, looking in from the doorway. "You mentioned him in the conversation with Tsukishima."

"Yeah, but -"

"Do you think he could be involved?" Kozume asked.

"No way," Bokuto said. "He's not the type to -"

"Anyone can be the type, can't they?" Kuroo countered.

"No," Akaashi said, glancing between the two of them, "Bokuto's right. Kageyama is pretty straight laced when it comes to the law, and from what I gather, he's always wanted to be a Confederation officer. Even turned down a position with Fukurodani Security that had much higher pay. He's not motivated by greed."

"But he knows this Oikawa person," Kuroo said, glancing at the bed. "Pretty intimately."

"Not necessarily," Kozume cut in. "The cells we lifted were a small sample, and could have been transfer from an outside contact."

"But they were close enough to make that transfer," Kuroo said.

"True."

Bokuto sighed. "If anything, I'd guess they're probably old friends, maybe? I mean, Kageyama, well. He's pretty single minded about some things."

"True," Akaashi said, lip curling in a slight smile..

"Well," Kozume said, "Either way, it's a possible lead. I'll set a tracker on his communications. If they're friends, maybe he'll make contact and we can find out where they're holed up now."

"Sounds good," Akaashi said. "We're almost done here."

"Got it." Kozume said.

There wasn't much else to find. A torn scrap of paper with the letterhead of one of the Fukurodani medical branches - that was interesting. Maybe there was a contact there who'd helped them figure out when the shipment would arrive?

Though letterhead -

No one used paper anymore, except with the poorest of the poor.

Akaashi just packed it up. Perhaps Kenma - Kozume - could make something of it. Perhaps it was nothing.

"Ready?" Bokuto asked.

Akaashi nodded. "Let's go.

They put him in the middle as they walked down the hall and back up the stairs. Akaashi tried to tell himself it was to protect the box he was carrying, full of precious samples. It was still slightly bothersome, however.

Not as troubling as the sight of the children huddled in the corners of the halls, staring at them with bruised-looking eyes and too-thin bodies. This was reality. Again Akaashi thought of the scrap of paper.

He wondered how many people here even knew how to read.

Sometimes, the fact that some things weren't his problem didn't make them any less problematic.

~~~~~~

The bridge was almost completely quiet this time of night.

Kenma preferred quiet. It helped him focus.

There was a light snore coming from behind him and to his right, but it was regular enough he could filter it out. The person really should be sleeping in a bed. Kuroo was smart enough to have gone to sleep in a bed. Akaashi had probably gone to sleep in a bed too, he wasn't here at least. Bokuto - well.

Kenma had yet to figure Bokuto out. At least he was asleep and not hovering over Kenma's chair asking questions every three seconds.

The case was interesting. It felt like there was something missing, things that didn't add up.

Kenma was running several operations simultaneously, like he was able to do when nothing else was bothering him. His maternal grandfather had been from Anakris, the tribe of inquiry. He'd fallen in love and renounced his tribe, pledging himself to work with Dikastis. Enhancements weren't really supposed to travel down through bloodlines, but Kenma didn't mind the boost to his memory and processing power that came alongside his physical abilities. As much as he said he wanted to be out in the field with Kuroo, this was what he truly enjoyed.

This was his true battleground.

He checked on the monitor for Kageyama. The man was at home. He'd made several calls to people. Kenma was tempted to spider out and check on each of them, but that might be a waste of resources. Instead he double-checked to make sure that no one had sniffed out what he was doing, and spent a moment adjusting the alert parameters.

Then he checked on the process he had running inquiry into the stolen shipment. It bothered him that there was no record of a shipment matching the one described leaving the planet. All outgoing shipments were traceable and accounted for. He'd accounted for the possibility that the stolen drugs might be split up and sent off in separate containers, too, at least to a certain level. He might have missed something, but the data just didn't feel right.

A lot about this didn't feel right.

Part of what was bothering him was the other search he was running on the shipment - not where it was going, but where it had come from.

He had tried just about every technique he knew of to trace back the origins of the shipment with no luck. He kept running into firewall after firewall. Even his clearance as a Fukurodani investigator didn't help. As far as the system was concerned, he didn't need to know.

Truthfully, he probably didn't. It was probably exactly what it looked like. It wasn't like they needed to trust him with all of their information.

That didn't mean he was going to stop the search.

He turned instead to the evidence. The piece that bothered him the most was -

A loud crash sounded behind him.

Kenma turned with wide eyes to look at Bokuto, who had somehow fallen out of his chair and onto the floor.

"Wha - uh - huh?" the man said, pushing himself up and looking around dazedly. "Where - huh? Oh, you? I mean... sorry Kenma."

Kenma turned back around, huffing in mild amusement. Bokuto was loud and brash, but he wasn't all bad for a human.

"Whatcha doin?" Bokuto said, shuffling over and draping himself over the top of Kenma's chair. That was the only thing he didn't really like about Bokuto - the way he seemed to have zero regard for anyone else's personal space. He could've said something, probably, but it wasn't that bad. Just disconcerting.

In answer, Kenma pointed to the image of the pill bottle on the screen.

"Hmm? Oh yeah, Akaashi bagged that at the scene. What is it?"

"Clytomestrin. It's a drug used to treat the early stages of Lydian's disease."

"Hey, that sounds familiar," Bokuto said. "We had an outbreak of it here on Aoba a while back, especially with the kids in the outer reaches. I haven't heard much about it lately."

Kenma nodded. He'd looked the disease up - it sounded nasty. Normally only children were affected. With teenagers and adults it normally expressed itself with flu-like symptoms. It was easily treatable with the drug if caught early enough, but if it progressed too far, the child would fall into a fugue-like state and require long-term treatment at a medical facility. No one had yet found a cure.

"I remember a lot of the patients didn't get medicine in time. I heard even some well-off families lost their life savings putting children into decent care facilities," Bokuto continued.

"You make children pay for medical care?" Kenma said, glancing up sharply.

"Well, someone has to pay for it, right?" Bokuto asked. "How else would we do it?"

Kenma leaned forward in his chair, frowning as he pulled up the details of what Bokuto had been describing. "On Aleph, everyone has free medical care," he said. "Even Akaashi would, if he went back."

"Even though he's only half?"

Kenma glanced back, thinking over what to say. "It doesn't work like that," he finally said. "There's no such thing as half. Not really."

It was too much to explain, especially since he couldn't explain the details to Bokuto because he was human. The way the nanites in their bloodstream worked to augment their minds and bodies, the geas that bound their behavior, the way their society had been designed by the founders, all these things were secrets he couldn't share even if he wanted to.

He could tell Akaashi, at some point. Later. Explain his heritage and what it all meant.

But even doing that much was tricky.

"Apart from all that," Kenma said, "Is the question of why Oikawa was in possession of this bottle of pills. It's not something you pick up at a local drugstore, after all."

"Hmm. Maybe it belongs to one of the kids in the building?"

"Maybe," Kenma allowed. "Though this code here, on the side - it isn't linked to anyone in the system. It's not even assigned to a particular distribution center. It's almost like the bottle doesn't exist."

"Is it fake?" Bokuto asked. "Someone selling false pills on the black market, maybe?"

"No," Kenma said. "As far as I can tell, it's real. Matches the chemical signature of the drug in the database."

"Huh," Bokuto said, moving to sit in a chair next to Kenma, "Well, when we catch him, it's another thing we can ask him about, right? Maybe he's dealing in more than just heavy narcotics."

"Maybe so," Kenma said, doing a running check through his other searches to see if they had made any progress. He could feel fatigue creeping up on him.

"Any luck finding him?"

"Not yet. He has a hacker on his side as well. Tricky one."

"Better than you?"

Kenma chuckled. "No. But interesting enough to present a bit of a challenge, especially since he knows exactly which tracks to erase and I'm working with a wide net. I'll find them though. At some point they'll make a mistake."

"And then?"

"And then," Kenma said, glancing over with a smirk, "You and Kuroo had best be rested enough to be able to go after them."

Laughing, Bokuto said, "We will. Trust me. We'll get em good." He grinned, then continued, "You know, working with you two is pretty fun."

Fun. Kenma pondered that for a moment. It was, actually, just a bit. Things had been good. So far at least. Things could change.

But for now? Yes. It was good.

"Thank you," Kenma replied, fingertips sliding over glass for a few moments of blessed silence.

Bokuto was tapping his fingers on the desk next to him. Kenma could feel the way he was looking at him. He glanced over, not sure what to make of the other's steady gaze. Something clued him in that they might be heading for a subject change, however.

"Hey Kenma," Bokuto said. Bingo. "Were you really watching me spar with Kuroo earlier?"

Kenma pondered the question for a moment, but didn't see any reason to dissemble. "Yes," he said, turning back to his screen and performing a few routine maintenance tasks.

"Did... you watch until the end?"

"Yes."

"Did you, um. Was he right when he said, um."

Kenma turned and looked at Bokuto, watching him fidget. His hands were in his lap now, and he was looking down. "Yes?"

"Was he right when he said, that. Well. That you wouldn't mind if he and I, um."

It was amusing to watch Bokuto squirm. He was even blushing, just a bit, mainly on the ears. Finally Kenma took pity on him. "You can if you want. It doesn't bother me."

It didn't, honestly. What he had with Kuroo wasn't something that could be threatened. If Kuroo felt attracted and wanted to play with someone else, that was fine. The same offer was open for Kenma as well, though he rarely felt the inclination. It took a special type of person to make him feel physical attraction.

It did happen though. They'd even spent some time in relationship with others - but that thought brought him too close to hurt, to memories of the team they'd once had.

"Are you sure?" Bokuto said, looking up at him.

"Yes."

"Ok." Bokuto nodded, seemingly satisfied. Then he was looking at Kenma again, golden eyes strangely steady.

It was unnatural for Bokuto to be so still.

"What?" Kenma finally said, glancing over and trying to ignore the slight chill running down his back.

"Hmm," Bokuto said. "Will you watch?"

Kenma turned and stared right back at him at that, trying to figure out the other's game. That face, that normally seemed so open, wasn't giving anything away. Kenma was fairly certain there was more to the question than just the surface, especially with the way Bokuto was looking at him. It made him feel -

Oh. Well that was interesting.

"I might," Kenma said, looking back at his screen. This time it was so he wouldn't have to look at Bokuto, though. As his fingers stuttered over the glass, he wondered if the other could tell.

He didn't know him well enough to know, yet.

He didn't know him well enough to be feeling anything for him, yet.

And yet -

Bokuto chuckled, deep in his throat. "Alright, Kennnnma," he said, pushing to stand. "I'll keep that in mind. I think I'm going to get some sleep in a real bed, though. So that I'll be all rested for when you find the bad guys. You get some rest too, k?"

Kenma nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He listened as Bokuto walked to the door and opened it, stepping out into the hallway. A certain tension left him then. Left enough to be packed up, with his observations about his feelings, and put away for later. Before shelving it he thought about it for a moment, thought about the repercussions of following that temptation to its endpoint.

Kuroo would like it.

His lip curled up, thinking. Kuroo would especially like it in certain ways, if certain things came to pass. There were desires he had that Kenma hadn't indulged him years. Maybe with Bokuto, he would.

And then - ah. And then there was Akaashi.

He'd known, when he wrapped his fingers around the other man's wrist, that he was the first Alephian to touch him. It was obvious in the way Akaashi's grey-green eyes had flashed, with sparks of white reflecting his unbonded nature. There were so many ways he was a blank slate.

There were ways Akaashi could be dangerous, too.

Both of he and Bokuto could be.

It was strange in a way, how quickly he'd grown accustomed to them. The screens in front of him helped, the fact that neither of them had expected him to do anything other than what he was naturally inclined to do anyways. The four of them just seemed to fit together.

Like a team.

Kenma's fingers stilled as that thought approached him again, memories of Nekoma. There was an ache in his belly that he always felt whenever he thought of them. Maybe someday -

No. The past was the past. And no matter who they were, Kuroo and he could only do so much.

He leaned back, watching the colors flicker on the screens in front of him, eyelids growing heavy. He always got melancholy when he got too tired.

Sighing to himself he pushed up from his station.

Bokuto was right. He needed some rest, too. And right now, more than anything else, he needed to curl up with his Kuroo.


	5. What Happens in the Dark (E)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, so this chapter earns the fic an E rating. It's in the first part. There are some really really light d/s undertones but nothing major.... just light games.

There was a soft gray light on in the room when Bokuto opened the door. It made him smile. Akaashi always left a nightlight on for him.

Bokuto quietly closed the door and got undressed, watching the still figure on the bed.

The light looked like the moon shining on Akaashi's pale skin. It was warm enough in their room that his partner was only wearing a sheet, and that was pulled halfway down so that it only covered from the waist down. Bokuto wanted to push the sheet down further, reveal the perfect curves of Akaashi's ass. The man was a work of art, after all. Bokuto never got tired of looking at him.

He still sent up thankful thoughts every day that Akaashi was his partner, and liked him, and had somehow fallen in love with him.

Quietly Bokuto crawled onto the bed, indulging his desire by flipping the sheet back enough to admire the view before pulling it up over both of them. 

Akaashi made a sleepy murmur and curled onto his side, facing Bokuto and blinking sleep from his eyes. "What time is it?" he asked.

"Late," Bokuto said, smiling and reaching over to brush his fingers over Akaashi's face. "I was just hanging out with Kenma, watching him work."

"Hanging out?" Akaashi asked, one eyebrow arched in question.

"Yes, just hanging out," Bokuto said, laughter in his voice. "Even I don't work that fast."

"Hmph," Akaashi said, a slow smirk crossing his face. "Yes. I remember."

Bokuto gave an answering smile, thinking back. When they were younger, he hadn't worked fast at all. He'd spent years crushing on Akaashi and trying to work up the courage to ask him out. In the end, Akaashi was the one who'd asked him. Lucky, lucky, he was too lucky for words.

It was Akaashi who'd introduced the idea of opening up their relationship as well. At first Bokuto had been devastated, thinking it meant he wasn't enough for his partner. They'd worked through it, though.

"I would've worked that fast with Kuroo today," Bokuto said, "if someone hadn't interrupted us."

Akaashi chuckled. "I'm pretty sure that was more Kuroo working fast on you," he said, reaching over to pull Bokuto closer. "I don't mind, though. I'm glad you're enjoying yourself."

Bokuto nodded, curling his hand around Akaashi's hip. "I like them, Akaashi. I like both of them. I want to keep them."

Akaashi's chuckles melted into laughter at that, a sound Bokuto always craved. It was warm and soft, and all his.

"I think," Akaashi said, leaning his forehead against Bokutos, "I think I want to keep them too. I haven't had as much time with Kuroo as you have, but Kozume is, well, nice."

"Kozume," Bokuto said, making a face. "You can call him Kenma, you know."

"I know," Akaashi replied. "I may later, Bokuto-san."

Akaashi's hand was sliding down Bokuto's side to his hip, fingers curling around to squeeze lightly at his ass.

"Oh ho ho?" Bokuto asked, smiling as Akaashi pushed him onto his back. It left Bokuto's hands free to reach up and trace down Akaashi's chest, watching the way the light played over the curves and planes of his skin.

"Maybe," Akaashi said, sitting back on one of Bokuto’s legs. "It was an exciting day. Although you probably need your rest. Who knows what'll happen tomorrow."

Eyes widening Bokuto said, "I'll be fine. If you want, I mean. I'll be fine with whatever you want."

There was that chuckle again. "So agreeable tonight."

It was true. He was just happy, he supposed. Kuroo and Kenma just fit together with them perfectly so far. He liked the quiet little blond, and Kuroo was just - well he had a feeling that Kuroo and he would be having a lot of fun together. It was something of a dream come true, too, to be working with Alephians. Three Alephians now.

He wondered if he should tell Akaashi he wasn't really half.

Nah, Kenma would tell him.

Akaashi's hand had drifted down over his stomach. Bokuto sucked in a breath as those long fingers wrapped around his cock, stroking him to hardness. Evidently he'd be having a happy ending tonight.

"I'll be gentle," Akaashi said, smirking down at him.

For a moment, Bokuto was disappointed. He didn't always like gentle. But Akaashi was right - they'd probably be seeing action tomorrow, and he wanted to be in tip-top shape for that. "Ok," he said, watching as Akaashi leaned over and pulled a long slim tube from their bedside table before moving down between Bokuto's legs. A grin split his face. He loved Akaashi blowjobs. "Can I touch you?"

"Hmm," Akaashi said, blowing over the tip of his cock. "Not yet. Hands wrapped around the headboard."

Bokuto's toes curled just a bit at the sound in Akaashi's voice. He liked these little games they played, games where he could give himself over to Akaashi. He lifted his hands up and closed them around the metal bar of their headboard, eyes falling shut as Akaashi's mouth wrapped around the head of his cock. Akaashi was amazing at taking care of him. 

"Fuck," Bokuto said, feeling Akaashi hold his hips down with one hand as his mouth bobbed on his length. Akaashi's other hand joined in on the fun too, wrapping around the base of his cock with fingers wet from lube. Vanilla, if the smell was anything to go by. Akaashi liked vanilla sometimes. Bokuto liked - oh - Bokuto liked anything. "Fuck," he repeated as Akaashi's fingers twisted in just the right way. "Just, fuck."

Akaashi's chuckles felt amazing when Bokuto's cock was pressed against the roof of his mouth. That tongue - ah, that tongue - was rubbing right under the head of his cock in the perfect spot, the one that drove Bokuto wild. Soon enough his hips were twitching. He was glad Akaashi had made him hold the headboard. He liked arching against the resistance, especially when he wasn't supposed to move.

Akaashi's fingers traveled back down and Bokuto pulled his legs up and to the side, wanting to make sure his lover had all the access he wanted. He felt a fingertip slide gently over his hole, rubbing in a tight little circle as Akaashi suckled the head of his cock. Bokuto clinched. He wanted more, wanted Akaashi to give him more.

A simple tap against his asshole was enough to make Bokuto relax, sucking at the finger that Akaashi pressed into him. He breathed a sigh of relief at that. He liked having Akaashi inside him. Liked being inside Akaashi too. It normally didn't really matter to him how they fit together, what mattered was that they were connected. Right now, he had both - his cock in Akaashi's mouth, Akaashi's finger pumping in and out of his ass. It was easy, and normal, and they'd done it so many times he'd lost count.

Enough times that Akaashi knew how to work him over perfectly with his mouth, taking him in deeper and deeper every time. Bokuto focused on the feeling of the finger rubbing deep inside him, on the way Akaashi’s throat closed around the head of his cock. With his eyes closed he could zone in on the sounds Akaashi was making with his body. Some of the sounds were squelchy sounds, especially as another finger joined the first. Then there was the sound of Akaashi's breathing through his nose as he moved, and the shifting sound he was making as he moved on the bed.

Bokuto licked his lips, reminded that Akaashi hadn't kissed him yet. He pouted for a second then gasped out loud as Akaashi added a third finger without any warning, curling his fingers inside to rub against Bokuto's prostate. "Akaaaaashi," Bokuto whined, opening his eyes and glancing down at his lover's overly amused face. "I thought you were going to be gentle."

Akaashi pulled off. "I am being gentle, Bokuto-san," he murmured, placing little kisses on the head of Bokuto's cock as he worked his fingers in and out. "Or do you want me to stop?"

"No," Bokuto said, pouting again, eyes narrowing slyly. "I want you to kiss me."

"I thought I had been kissing you, Bokuto-san," Akaashi said, sucking the head of his cock in to demonstrate.

"Nnnngh," Bokuto said, clamping down on the fingers inside him. "I mean - fuck - Akaashi -"

"What?"

"I want to kiss you," he said. "And I want... you."

Akaashi chuckled. "Impatient tonight?"

"No, I just - yeah, that's it," Bokuto said, shuddering as the fingers were removed and Akaashi moved up to hover above him.

"What's it?" Akaashi asked, lowering himself so that his cock rubbed against Bokuto's.

"Can I let go now?" Bokuto asked. "Please?"

"Your attention span is shorter than usual," Akaashi said, smiling.

"No, I just want you," Bokuto said. "Can I have you? My Akaashi?"

The light wasn't good enough for him to know if Akaashi was blushing, but he probably was. Akaashi, he'd found over the years, was a sucker for honesty. That was easy for Bokuto, he was good at being honest with his lovers, especially when it came to what he wanted.

"Yes."

That was all it took. Bokuto let go of the headboard and wrapped his arms around Akaashi, pulling him down into a kiss. He opened his mouth to kiss him deeper, tasting the coolness of mouthwash and just a hint of the spice of Akaashi's dinner on top of the taste that was all Akaashi. He tasted himself as well, the slightly bitter taste of precum. It was delicious. Akaashi was delicious. 

Bokuto brought his legs up to wrap around Akaashi's body, smiling against the other's lips as he felt Akaashi's hand slide down to guide his cock to Bokuto's entrance.

They both groaned out as Akaash pressed in. Akaashi was slow - too slow, slow enough that Bokuto wanted to push him in faster with the his feet against Akaashi's ass. That would get him in trouble though, especially since Akaashi had promised to be gentle.

But it wasn't like Bokuto was hurting.

Instead he was feeling stretched just enough, enough that he wanted more, he wanted all of Akaashi inside him. Finally, finally, finally he was.

Bokuto hugged Akaashi close with all that he had, feeling Akaashi's hand slide into his hair as they kissed. Bokuto loved moments like this, skin to skin, when they were totally wrapped up in each other. There was no other feeling like it in all the worlds.

Akaashi began moving at just the right time, with smooth gentle strokes. Bokuto threw his head back with a hiss as Akaashi's cock struck just the right place inside him. Life was perfect, in this moment. Akaashi was kissing his neck now, murmuring words of encouragement, drinking in all the little sounds Bokuto was making in response to his movements. He could feel the movement of Akaashi's back under his fingers, all the muscles working in concert to bring them both pleasure.

The smell of vanilla and sex filled the air, layered on top of the subtle little scents that were uniquely Akaashi and Bokuto. It was perfect and easy.

"I want," Bokuto said against Akaashi's lips, not needing to finish the sentence. Akaashi just nodded, and Bokuto slid one hand from Akaashi's back and in between their bodies, wrapping it around his cock. Akaashi sped up, tilting his hips so that he hit perfectly inside with every stroke. Bokuto was gasping, curling, moaning as he jacked himself off. He forced his eyes open so that he could look up at Akaashi. Akaashi was so gorgeous like this, sweat dampening the hair around his forehead. Bokuto loved the look in his eyes, gentle and loving and hungry all at once.

"My Bokuto," Akaashi growled, thrusting harder.

"Yes," Bokuto said, sucking in a breath. "Always yours. My Akaashi."

Akaashi tightened his lips in a smile at that, then he was grunting, head pulling back and thrusts growing shorter and more erratic. Bokuto knew those signs.

it was beautiful, watching Akaashi come undone, cumming inside him. Bokuto tightened his hold on his cock. His wrist sped up as he watched the sight above him, all of his senses coming together and pushing him up and over the peak of pleasure so that he was coming on his own stomach between them as he breathed out Akaashi's name.

"Perfect," Akaashi said, resting his forehead against Bokuto's before slowly pulling out.

That was the moment Bokuto disliked the most about sex. If it had been feasible, he would've wanted to stay connected forever.

Though he supposed they were, in their hearts.

Akaashi would like that thought. He'd tell him later, when he wasn't quite so sleepy.

"Are you going to sleep on me, Bokuto?" Akaashi asked.

Bokuto just grunted in response.

Akaashi sighed, shifting to reach down beside the bed for a soft wet towel, cleaning off Bokuto's stomach. Bokuto let himself be moved around so that Akaashi could clean the rest of him as well. He'd have to shower in the morning, but he didn't mind. It was nice to have traces of Akaashi inside him all night.

The other man fell back down onto the bed, grumbling a bit about how spoiled Bokuto was acting. Bokuto smiled, eyes closed in drowsy afterglow. "Love you, Akaashi," he said, putting an end to the grumbling.

"You too," Akaashi said. He pulled Bokuto onto his side to face him, legs getting tangled up. Akaashi kissed his forehead, his eyes, and then his lips, and Bokuto smiled again, pulling Akaashi close.

He was the luckiest person ever.

~~~~~~~~~~

The door of the warehouse banged open.

"Oikawa!" a voice yelled, as the owner of the voice came striding into the open space, hands curled up in anger.

"I'm sorry Oikawa-san!" came a second voice, as Kindaichi came in chasing him. "I tried to stop him but -"

Oikawa pushed up from the table he'd been leaning over and exchanged a glance with Iwaizumi. "What are you doing here?" he asked the man striding up to him.

"I came to find you!" Kageyama said, fisting a hand in Oikawa's shirt. "You fucking dumbass, I should be arresting you!"

Oikawa tilted his head to the side and looked down at the younger man. "Oh? My cute little junior is coming in here and talking to me like that? If you want to roleplay cops and robbers we should probably do it in a more private space though."

Kageyama just clinched his jaw. He didn't even blush. That's how Oikawa knew he was serious, serious in a way that doesn't really add up.

"Do you realize," Kageyama said, "That Fukurodani is sending their best after you? Including a couple of Dikastis mercenaries? Do you know what they'll do -"

Oikawa frowned, raising a hand to uncurl Kageyama's fists from his shirt.

The younger man pushed him back before he could even try. "I can't believe you. I mean, I always knew you skirted the law, but - heavy narcotics, Oikawa?" he asked, then looked around. "And the rest of you went along with it?"

Almost everyone in the room stilled at those words. The only one moving was Kunimi, leaning over the computer screen that was resting on the table.

"Narcotics?" Iwaizumi said, glancing at Oikawa.

"Yes," Kageyama said, looking at them like they were all idiots. "Narcotics. You all steal a shipment of Hydroxine-47 - one of the most controlled substances in this sector - and - what?"

Oikawa looked at Iwaizumi. He was tempted to push the bluff further with Kageyama, he always was, but this was news he couldn't ignore."

"We didn't," Oikawa said, though the look Kageyama gave him spoke volume about his mistrust.

"He's right," Iwaizumi said. Oikawa pulled a face as Kageyama shot the other man a troubled look. It was always annoying how people trusted Iwaizumi more than him. Justified, perhaps, but still annoying.

"We wouldn't do something like that, Kageyama," Kindaichi said, face full of worry.

Kageyama looked back at Oikawa. "That's what the report says. All of them. You're telling me you didn't steal anything?"

"Oh, no, we did," Kunimi said, and Oikawa couldn't help but tsk at the look Kageyama shot him at that statement. But the man at the table wasn't done. "Kageyama," he continued, fingers still flickering over the glass in front of him, "Can I ask how you found us?"

"Hinata told me where you were," Kageyama said. "Don't worry, he said he Suga was covering for me. I snuck out and used the tunnels."

"Hinata?" Iwaizumi asked, surprise in his voice. "But he - oh."

"Phone," Kunimi said, reaching out to Iwaizumi. "We'll probably have to move again soon, just in case."

Oikawa sighed, and looked back at Kageyama. "Fine. We did steal a shipment, but it wasn't narcotics. We just took back the Clytomestrin they should have given us to begin with."

"Clyto -" Kageyama said, confused. It took a few moments for the wheels to actually turn in his head. Oikawa would have enjoyed stumping him more if the cause wasn't so serious. "Oh. Well that makes more sense."

"I'm glad it makes more sense to you than me setting myself up as some sort of drug kingpin," Oikawa said.

"No, that made sense too," Kageyama said, then pointed his thumb over at Iwaizumi. "I just figured he'd beat you up if you even tried."

Pouting, Oikawa glanced over at Iwaizumi, refusing to acknowledge the ghost of a smile that flitted across his best friend's face.

"Well, I wouldn't."

"Fine," Kageyama said, frowning. "But that's not what the official reports say."

"Well, they're wrong."

"I believe you. But the ones coming after you - they won't."

Any hint of levity was suddenly sucked out of the room. Oikawa had known going in this would be serious. He knew it would probably end up messy. But trafficking in heavy narcotics - "Those bastards," he murmured.

Kageyama stood there awkwardly a moment, fists clenching and unclenching as if he didn't know what to do.

It was strange. They weren't friends - not really, their history was far too complicated for that. Kageyama could be friends with Iwaizumi, Iwaizumi could be friends with the shrimp, but Oikawa and Kageyama - no.

"Can I do anything?" Kageyama finally asked.

Oikawa wanted to yell at him. Instead he clinched his fists and looked to Iwaizumi for rescue. He knew he shouldn't be mad at Kageyama. He knew Kageyama just wanted to help. But Kageyama was the last person he wanted to accept help from, and the other had already assisted them by letting them know exactly what was on the official report.

"Not from here," Iwaizumi said. "You're risking yourself just by being here. If they found out you were with us, helping us - you'd be painted with the same brush."

"That's if they don't already know," Kunimi said, frowning at the screen.

"Why would they -" Kageyama started.

"I don't know. It looked like they were tracking you though. Suga's good, but I don't think he was expecting - crap. Whoever they've got looking for us is fucking - they traced him. I've got their bots going around in loops right now, but it won't buy us much time. We need to pack up and get out of here."

"Kage-" Oikawa started, stopping himself when Iwaizumi caught his eye and shook his head. He knew, he knew - but if the other had compromised them, compromised his friends, his team -

Iwaizumi came over and laid a hand on his arm, murmuring, "It's not his fault."

It wasn't, either.

It was Oikawa's fault. All of this was, really.

Iwaizumi turned to Kageyama again. "You should probably go. Maybe your crows will be able to figure something out. Right now, though -"

You're no help at all.

Oikawa wanted to say that. Yell it at him, really. The only thing stopping him was the hand on his arm, and the knowledge that it wasn't really Kageyama he was mad at.

It was always just easier to be angry at him.

"Alright," Kageyama finally said.

Oikawa knew he should say goodbye, but he couldn't. Instead he just listened as the younger man turned, steps slow as he walked away and shut the door behind him. He listened as Kindaichi followed him out to stand guard.

A noise came from the table as Kunimi stood up. "I've done what I can for now. We probably have about a half an hour, hour tops before the defenses fall through and they find us."

Oikawa looked at Iwazumi and nodded. "Ok," he said, thinking things through. "Go wake up Matsukawa and Hanamaki. We'll split up. You leave first with them, we'll follow you and meet up later. Yahaba and Watari still good with the shipment?"

"Yes. The first and second batches are already on their way out."

Oikawa nodded, glancing down. At least one thing was going right today. "Good."

Iwazumi waited until Kunimi was gone before speaking.

"You did a shitty job with Kageyama," he said, hands rubbing up and down Oikawa's arms.

"You always say that."

"It's always true, dumbass."

Oikawa pouted, but his heart wasn't in it. "At least I didn't hit him this time. I could've, you know, He assaulted me first."

Iwaikawa pondered that for a moment, then shook his head. "Not good enough."

"So mean," Oikawa said, then looked down, sighing. "I'm never -"

"Don't say it."

Oikawa glared at him then. Truthfully, it didn't matter if he said it or not. It was still true.

He never was good enough.

"We're going to make it, you know," Iwaizumi said, staring at him until Oikawa was forced to look away. "And who knows, maybe the crows will figure something out. The whole situation was rotten from the beginning. The Confederation is supposed to be above corruption, right?"

That was the theory, but they both knew that wasn't how it really work in practice. Sure they were nominally in charge, and had the courts on their side, but everyone knew the corporations held the real power.

Especially when they were the ones holding the guns.

Still, Oikawa was good at being a liar. "You're right," he said, shooting Iwaizumi a grin the other would know was false. "It'll all be fine, we'll all get away scot free, and -"

"Shittykawa," Iwazumi growled, shaking him. "We will. We'll make this happen."

"Right. Sure. If you say so."

"I do."

Maybe he could give himself up to them. Maybe they'd let everyone else go if he did. They wanted a scapegoat, right? Wanted to get back at him for having the balls to steal their drugs out from under him.

If so, well. Maybe he could do it.

Iwa-chan couldn't kill him if he was already dead.

But he didn't want to do it. He wanted to live. He wanted the happy ending.

Even if he didn't believe in fairy tales anymore.

But, he did believe in Iwaizumi.

"Alright," he said, shrugging his shoulders and letting himself lean into the hands around his arms. He wanted to hold him, but that wouldn't happen; not when their teammates could walk in at any moment. It didn't matter, though. Iwaizumi was here, and he was selfish enough to be glad of his presence.

"Let's do this."


	6. The Hunt

Kuroo woke up to Kenma kisses.

It was, hands down, just about his favorite way to wake up. For a few moments everything was blissful as his lover kissed his chest and neck, sucking lightly on his collarbone. He knew Kenma was being affectionate, not sexy, but he still wasn't going to complain.

"You're awake," Kenma murmured, lips curled into a smile against Kuroo's skin.

"Maybe," Kuroo said. "Or maybe I'm just dreaming. It's a very, very good dream."

That almost earned him a giggle, he was fairly sure. But the lips left him, and Kuroo opened his eyes to look up at Kenma's face.

"I talked to Bokuto last night," Kenma said.

"Oh? What about?"

"He asked for permission."

"Really? Hah. What a guy. Did you give him permission to date your daughter?"

The face Kenma made at that was priceless, and worth the way he shoved the heel of his palm into Kuroo's shoulder.

"Yes, I did, but you've got a ten pm curfew."

"Curfew?" Kuroo asked, puzzled a moment. "What's - oh. You've been watching those old movies again, haven't you."

"Cinema classics," Kenma said, shrugging.

"Right. Good old Mother Earth stuff," Kuroo replied. "You sure you don't - oh. You don't mind, do you." The look in Kenma's eyes was shooting heat all the way down to Kuroo's belly. That was a very good sign indeed. "Do we have to get out of bed right away?" he asked, reaching up to run his fingers through Kenma's hair, not sure if he wanted to cross the line from tenderness into something more right at this moment.

Kenma was probably content with tenderness, though his eyes held a bit of desire as he looked down. He turned his head to kiss Kuroo's palm before answering. "Only if -"

An alarm beeped from the speakers overhead, and Kenma's face went from adorable to serious in an instant.

"Yes," Kenma said. "We do."

There was a light in his eyes, though, so Kuroo knew it wasn't anything too bad. Hopefully, it was something very good indeed.

Kenma was dressed and out the door in a flash. When Kuroo joined him on the bridge Bokuto and Akaashi were already there waiting. Akaashi was at the controls of the ship, typing things in and turning every so often to check with Kenma.

"What's up?" Kuroo asked Bokuto.

"Found em," Bokuto asked, grinning at him. "Your little Kenma is damn good."

Snorting at the description Kuroo said, "I know."

He braced himself as the ship lifted off and headed out over the city.

"They're mobile," Kenma said. "Bikes, it looks like. Three of them. I've got a bead on em, but they're being pretty erratic. Not sure where they're going."

"Oh, good," Bokuto said. "We get to chase. You up for it, Kuroo?"

"Of course, Bokuto," Kuroo said, giving him a smirk.

"I'll upload tracers to your helmets so that you can follow them in the traffic," Kenma said. "Though I don't know -"

"Akaashi can get us close enough to drop out, right Akaashi?" Bokuto said, not even waiting for the pilot to nod.

"Drop out?" Kuroo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, it'll be fun. You'll love it," Bokuto answered. patting him on the back and shoving him out the door and into the hall.

"As long as we survive it," Kuroo said, glancing over at him as they walked down the hall to the deck where the motorbikes were stored. "I probably will. If not, Kenma will have a field day with you."

"And here I thought we'd established a relationship of mutual trust," Bokuto said.

"Not yet," Kuroo shot back. "Let me fuck you and we might have a deal."

"Hey, who said you were gonna be the one doing the fucking?"

Kuroo laughed, walking into the deck and going over to the lockers to pull on outerwear for their ride. Truthfully, he was greedy enough to want it all with Bokuto. He wanted everything from all of them. Maybe even Akaashi.

No, scratch that, he thought, tracing over their pilots face and body in his mind. There was no maybe about it.

It was scary and exciting at the same time. Maybe, just maybe, they'd really found a team again.

He pulled his helmet on and walked over to where Bokuto was setting up the bikes, eyeing the tracks in the floor of the deck that led down to the hatch.

"Drop?" he asked Bokuto, double checking all the straps on his jacket and the placement of his weapons.

"Yeah," Bokuto replied. "The bikes have a minor built-in hoverchip. Not enough to let us fly, mind but enough to cushion a drop of a few yards. Akaashi can fly up behind them, then bingo - we just ride right out the hatch and onto the road."

"Eh? That sounds -"

"Trust me," Bokuto said. "I do it all the time. It's an awesome rush."

"Whatever you say."

"You two about ready?" Akaashi said through the comms in their ears.

"Yeah," Bokuto answered, swinging a leg over one of the bikes and starting it up. "Just tell us when you're ready to drop."

Kuroo followed suit, sucking in a breath and watching as the hatch opened up in front of them. Wind whipped through the room. If Kuroo had been afraid of heights, now would have been the time it came out. The road was in front of them, filled with cars and trucks and a few random motorbikes. Beyond the road the city stretched out, mottled buildings lit by the light of the rising sun. 

Lines overlaid the scene in their helmet displays, with lines for the edge of the roads and light grey boxes around each of the vehicles. Three blue dots stood out from all the rest, showing up even through the obstruction of other vehicles as their motorbikes swerved in and out of traffic. Those were their targets.

And Kuroo was feeling was the need to hunt.

"Ready?" Bokuto asked, glancing over at him.

"Always," Kuroo answered.

He revved up his engine and watched as the countdown in the corner of his helmet told him when to take off.

They flew out of the hatch through the air, landing perfectly upright on the road in front of a couple of very surprised motorists. It didn't take long to leave them all behind, though, as they went zipping through the traffic, leaning to the side and blowing right past the slower vehicles in their wake. It wasn't long before their quarry realized they were being chased.

That just made it all the more interesting.

Truthfully Kuroo loved these times when he could go all out, speeding down the road with no one to stop him. On some planets he would've gotten in huge trouble for going this fast, been chased down by the law and told exactly why he shouldn't be doing this.

Here, though, he basically was the law. He, and Bokuto, and Kenma, and Akaashi. They were the ones that made the rules for this encounter.

It was a heady feeling.

"Looks like they're exiting up ahead into an industial district," Kenma said in his ear. "I'm also - hmph. Also getting some interference."

Kuroo took the exit, noting right away that the three bikes had split up. Their blue dots blinked out a moment then returned. That was probably the interference Kenma was talking about. "Is it going to be an issue?"

"Probably not. If so, I'll find a workaround. In the meantime, though, their leader is the one I just put a red circle around. He's the priority."

"Got it," Bokuto said. "We'll follow him first."

Kuroo thought about the possibility of splitting up themselves, but it seemed far too risky. He hated to think about having the other two out there ready to strike at any moment, but it was better to be together in this.

Kenma and Akaashi would be there to watch their backs if anything happened.

The leader was heading deeper into an abandoned industrial complex at the fringe of the city. All of a sudden his light blipped off. "Damnit," Kuroo said, "Where is -"

"Got him," Kenma replied. "Building about three blocks down on your left. Looks like he pulled into the lower level of an old parking garage. Be careful."

"I will, ki-" Kuroo said, stopping himself before broadcasting the pet name to everyone on their new team.

"Yeah,' Bokuto said. "We'll be fine."

As they pulled up to the abandoned building, Kuroo felt a shiver go down his spine. The blue and red dot was back, inside the structure and moving more slowly now. Still, they had no idea how many others were in there.

"Just like old times," he muttered.

They leaned their bikes against the side of the garage and looked at each other. Kuroo gave one last sweeping look to the rest of the neighborhood, bothered again that they'd lost the other two riders. He felt a prickling of caution riding under the adrenaline of the hunt.

He'd been in worse situations, but never without Kenma right there at his back. Not for a long time, anyhow.

Ah well. Time to see if Bokuto was all he was cracked up to be.

~~~~~~

Kenma frowned down at the screen in front of him, swiping things to the left and right in frustration. There were too many loose ends. Not enough data. He hated getting into situations where there wasn't enough data.

Akaashi was sitting next to him, having landed the ship on the roof of the building Oikawa had entered. The pilot was looking up at the displays above their head where Kenma was projecting the feeds from Kuroo and Bokuto's helmets. Glancing up, Kenma studied them for a moment. He'd enabled the night vision and infared on both, which would be helpful if they were in danger of running into other gang members besides Oikawa. Unfortunately, it wouldn't help if there were any traps or offensive robotics in the area.

Kuroo could take care of himself. Kuroo had been in worse situations. He kept telling himself that. It didn't help, especially since he'd fucking lost the other two people on bikes.

He hated this.

"I hate this," Akaashi murmured.

Kenma glanced over at him, not sure if he was thankful he had someone else to share it with or even more annoyed by having another human being intruding into his thoughtspace.

Probably grateful.

Akaashi wasn't very intrusive, after all. If anything, he was another set of eyes who could watch the feeds while Kenma tried to get everything else put together.

In all, there were nine known members of the Seijou gang. There might be more, but Kenma only knew about these. Kageyama was another loose end, but he was back at his work. They could deal with him later.

Two of those gang members weren't anywhere near the area. Their last known location wasn't even in the city. One was reportedly offplanet. That left six - five besides Oikawa. Kenma knew at least two of them were in the area. He was fairly certain at least one, the hacker, was in the building with Oikawa. That left two that he had no clue about.

He had to focus on what he could do. Focus on how he could fight.

He slid his fingertips over glass, monitoring the battle against the other hacker. The guy was good. Not as good as Kenma, but he was only fighting on one front, trying to clear away the tracker Kenma had placed on Oikawa. It wasn't working. Instead, Kenma was slowly eating away at the hacker's defenses. He monitored the situation for a moment, tweaked some of the responses of his bots, then let them do their thing and turned back to the other situation.

That would be the situation where the hacker had gotten one over on him - well, two. The other cyclists. Kenma had hijacked a satellite and pinpointed the location of their bikes, but it did him no good. The bikes were abandoned, and there was no sign of the other two on any of the satellite's images. It didn't have the capabilities to do thermal with any sort of accuracy, so he was at a dead end there.

Huffing, Kenma looked back up at the live feeds. He hated having his hands tied like this.

Kuroo and Bokuto were climbing stairs now, Bokuto in the lead. For a moment Kenma wanted to tell Kuroo to stop looking at the other man's ass. That was irrational, though. There was no way that Kuroo was focused on anything else but trying to scout out the danger in their immediate environment.

Suddenly there was movement to the side.

"Bokuto, your two," Akaashi said into the comm.

There was a crash and dust filled the feeds for a moment, obscuring everything into green and black speckles.

"I got you bro," they heard Bokuto say.

"Thanks, man," Kuroo said in response.

"What was that?" Kenma asked Akaashi, not sure what had happened.

Akaashi shook his head, then spoke into the comm again. "You two ok?"

"We're good," Kuroo said.

"Yeah, just some debris that got dislodged, looks like," Bokuto said. "Old building."

Kenma relaxed. As the dust cleared he was able to see that the two helmets were basically pressed against each other, the faces of each man filling the screen.

"You can get off me now," Kuroo said, smirking.

Bokuto grinned in response. "What if I don't wanna?"

Akaashi groaned and looked over at Kenma. "They're in the middle of all that, and they're still flirting?"

Kenma shook his head. "Stress relief, I guess."

Akaashi just sighed. "They're going to get themselves killed."

It was amusing. Kenma couldn't help but chuckle, although some might have mistaken it for a low cough.

"Whenever you guys are - wait," Kenma said, expanding the satellite view. "There's two bikes leaving the back of the warehouse."

"Not Oikawa?" Kuroo asked.

"Nope. He's still in the building. Be careful in there - I still have three bodies unaccounted for. I'll slap trackers on those two so we can find them later, but now just focus on Oikawa."

"Alright," Kuroo replied.

"I think Oikawa is on the floor above you," Kenma said. "He's holding steady, so you may be able to sneak up on him."

He wanted to say be careful, but he'd said that too many times already. A glance at Akaashi made Kenma feel he was probably thinking the same thing.

This waiting game sucked. He knew his job was important. He knew that someone had to track the data and watch the overall situation.

Still, if he'd had a choice, he'd rather be one of the people on the ground.


	7. Catching the Prey

Bokuto was thankful for his helmet. It filtered the dust out of the air, which was a huge plus right now.

He pushed himself up off of Kuroo. The other man smacked away his offer of a hand to help him up. Figured.

"Think these stairs are still passable?" Bokuto asked, eyeing the debris that covered one half of the staircase.

Kuroo studied them for a moment then looked up. They could both see Oikawa's dot on the floor above them, several yards away.

"I think they'll be safe," Kuroo said. "Well, at least as safe as any structure in this hellhole is."

Bokuto nodded. It would have to do.

"You know," Bokuto said as they climbed, "They probably heard the crash."

"Well, they knew we were here anyhow. He isn't bolting. Maybe it means he's ready to give himself up?"

Bokuto huffed out a laugh. "I doubt it. Hope not. After all this, to have the guy basically throw himself at your mercy? Not fun, not fun at all."

Kurro chuckled. "You have a very unique definition of fun."

"Eh, you like it," Bokuto replied. "Or you will."

"Pretty confident of that, are you, eh?"

"Yep."

At this moment, with adrenaline running through him and a hot partner by his side, he definitely was.

Bokuto grinned to himself as he crept up the stairs, watching the ground to make sure he didn't step on any more pieces of loose debris. Kuroo was just as silent behind him. 

"Hey, Akaashi," Bokuto said after a bit, "Do you remember that time when we got sent to Sohoro and had to chase those guys into the jungle?"

"Yes, Bokuto-san, I remember."

"And we ran across that weird space where a city had been taken over by trees, with trees growing through the buildings, and we chased them into this one place that had been a skyscraper but all the stairwells were filled with vines?"

"You have way too much energy for this, bro."

"Hush, Kuroo. I'm telling a story. Anyways, you wouldn't believe what happened to us, Kenma. Kenma, are you there? Kenma's listening to my story."

Bokuto waited for Kenma to reply, sighing when no response was forthcoming.

Kuroo snorted into his mic.

"I'm sure he's just a good listener. Kenma, you seem like a really good listener. Anyways, you wouldn't believe what happened just as we climbed the stairs to the fifteenth floor."

"What, Bokuto-san?" Akaashi asked after a moment.

"Akaaaashi, you already know what happened next."

"True."

"Well fine," Bokuto said. "I'll tell you other two anyways, because I'm sure you're dying to know. Out of nowhere, just as we rounded the corner, we were attacked by a pair of wild monchees!"

"Monchees?" Kuroo asked.

"That's Bokuto-san's name for those tiny monkey-like things that were so popular as pets a while back."

"Ah."

"Yeah! The guys we were chasing were smuggling the wild ones and trying to pass them off as the ones who'd been properly bred and tamed. Causing all sorts of problems."

"I see," Kuroo said. "So did you manage to fight off this pack of wild, ah, monchees?"

"Hey," Bokuto said. "You're laughing, aren't you."

"Nope," Kuroo replied.

Bokuto glanced back at him. "You totally are. I can see see you, dude."

"Not laughing."

"Right. I'll have you know they're surprisingly fierce fighters for being so little."

"That, I can relate to," Kuroo said.

"Kuroo," Kenma said warningly.

"Ah! Kenma! I knew you were listening! I knew he was listening, Akaashi."

"Yes, Bokuto-san," Akaashi replied. "Ah, look out for that -"

"I see it, I see it," Bokuto said, pulling his foot back from the stick he'd almost stepped on.

"Did that story have a point?" Kuroo asked.

"Not really. This space just reminded me of it, with all the junk on the side and all."

"I see," Kuroo said. "Well hopefully, we won't have to deal with a surprise attack by wild monchees at the top of these stairs."

"Your heat sensors would pick them up," Kenma supplied. "It wouldn't be a surprise."

"You're no fun," Kuroo said.

"Yep."

Bokuto chuckled inside his helmet looking up the stairs. They were almost at the top now. He glanced at the outside noise monitor and noticed it was starting to pick up some sound. As they got to the top of the stairs the sound resolved itself into two voices.

Glancing carefully around the corner, Bokuto was almost sad to note that there was no pack of wild monchees hanging from the ceiling. Instead, there was a long clear hallway between them and an open arch. Motioning to Kuroo he moved forward, crouching at the edge of the arch to listen.

"- should have gone with them," the first voice said.

"I told you. Not until I get this tracker off your back."

"Listen to me! Gah, why can't you be a good follower like Yahaba? He wouldn't ever talk back like this."

"This is my responsibility. I can't do it if I'm on a bike. I'm close, I think. I got it off of Iwaizumi and Kindaichi, I can get it off -"

The sudden silence made Bokuto stand and look back at Kuroo with a frown. Had they -

A sudden punch of pain to his thigh drove him back, and he stared at the hole in the wall where he'd been standing.

There was a man on the other end of the hole. A man with a gun shaking in his hands, and wide scared eyes covered by a clear visor.

Of course. How stupid could he be.

Then everything spun into motion as the man yelled at the person next to him and picked up the screen in front of him, turning to run out of the room. Bokuto looked up at Kuroo.

"Go get them," he said, frowning as his partner decided to kneel next to him instead. "It's not that bad -"

He looked down, gloved fingers reaching for the side of his thigh. Outside, thank goodness. Still, there was blood -

That wasn't good.

Kuroo grabbed the bottom of his helmet and forced it up. "I'm not going anywhere," he said, pressing a hand hard against the open wound, "Until I know you're alright."

Stupid bastard. Where were his priorities?

~~~~~~~~~

Akaashi was on his feet the instant Bokuto was hit.

"We've got to go to them," he said.

Kuroo's voice cracked over the comms. "What's his status?"

Kozume's hands were flying over the screen. "Nothing major was hit," he said into his mic. "The major concern is bleeding for now, and whatever contaminants there are in the building. There should be some N-Skin in your side pocket that'll help patch things up temporarily. We'll be there shortly."

"What?" Kuroo yelled. "No! Kenma! Stay in the fucking ship! We're fine!"

"Negative," Kozume replied, looking up at Akaashi and rolling his eyes. "Hold fast until we get there."

He clicked the mic off, ignoring Kuroo's further complaints.

"So we're going then?" Akaashi said, already walking towards the door.

"Of course," Kozume replied. "It's what we're here for, after all. Wait for me while I go grab the med kit."

Akaashi nodded. He wanted to. He wanted to but he didn't. Bokuto was hurt, and out there with someone who was practically a stranger, even if Kuroo was their new partner.

Even if he was, he wasn't Bokuto's real -

He found himself outside before even thinking about it, standing on the roof where they'd landed the ship. He'd somehow rushed through getting all his equipment on. Kozume was behind him, somewhere. He'd catch up.

All that mattered now was getting to Bokuto.

He ran towards the rooftop access hatch and opened the door, looking around to see if the coast was clear.

It wasn't.

All of a sudden a heavy body slammed into him, knocking him back. He threw a punch, scrambling to get his gun up, but the other man was fast and angry. That wouldn't've mattered. Normally Akaashi was good - better than good. Not as good as Bokuto, but still good enough. Today, however, wasn't his lucky day.  
He landed on a piece of scrap on the rooftop and slipped, falling onto his ass. The man was on him in an instant, holding him down. He had spiked hair and a look of cool anger in his eyes as he raised his gun.

"Sorry about this," he muttered.

Then he was gone.

Akaashi blinked and turned his head, watching as a small red-suited form smashed fist after fist into the larger man's body. All of a sudden, he was very glad to have Kozume on his team.

That was, he was glad until he was on the receiving end of his glare.

"I told you," Kozume said, "to wait."

"And I said stay in the fucking ship," Kuroo replied, not realizing who Kozume had been talking to. "We've got them cornered."

"We have the other two," Kozume said, not missing a beat as he strapped together the hands of the man who had attacked Akaashi.

Two?

Akaashi glanced back behind them and saw another body on the ground. Huh.

When he looked back at Kozume he was searching the man beneath him, meeting him glare for glare. "Jackpot," he muttered, pulling out a phone. The blond tugged off one of his gloves and held the device, frowning at it a moment as he slid his hands over the screen. "Locked. So annoying."

Then he held it more tightly, and his eyes began to glow red.

Akaashi looked at their prisoner, but he hadn't seemed to notice. How anyone could not notice Akaashi didn't know. Kozume's free hand was dancing across the screen, eyes flicking back and forth over whatever he saw.

Then he sucked in a breath.

"Oh," Kozume said, "Shit."

~~~~~~~~~

Kuroo was angry. He knew it, felt the emotion at one cool remove. He always hated for one of his teammates to get injured. It was a personal affront.

It wasn't rational. He probably would've done the same if he'd been in the other man's place. That was why he'd only left him with a broken collarbone, moaning under Bokuto's watchful eye.

The other one, though, the leader of this entire bunch -

Well, in Kuroo's eyes, the universe would probably be better off without vermin like him. Drug dealing scum who didn't care about whose lives were ruined by their product. He didn't care how pretty the man was, or how fast he was running away. He'd catch him, and then if things went wrong -

Well.

Justice would be served.

The man was a slippery one, he'd give him that. Running like a coward towards the roof. He wouldn't make it. Kuroo rounded corners, pushing himself to gain all of the extra speed he knew his body was possible. Kenma was up on that roof. There was no way he was going to put him at risk -

"Gotcha," he said, slamming into the other man's body.

Oikawa was scrambling, trying to push him off, but it wouldn't work. He was weak in comparison. Kuroo could crush him with just one hand. One hand. He raised it to the other's throat, relishing the look of fear and hopelessness in the other man's eyes. Just one squeeze -

"Kuroo. Stop."

He stopped.

When Kenma used that tone of voice he brooked no argument, and he always had a good reason. Kuroo waited, the red fading from his vision.

"We've been played," Kenma continued. "I've got the two up here, Akaashi's coming down to help Bokuto up to the ship. Bring the other two up here, and we'll sort everything out. Ok?"

Oikawa's eyes were still filled with fear, but there was a certain wariness in them now. Kuroo felt felt a chill at the thought that he'd almost made a mistake.

"Got it," he said.

"Oh," Kenma said, "Tell Oikawa that his friends are alive. He'll care."

He'd care.

His friends had been on the roof.

Context really was everything.

Kuroo pressed the side of his helmet so that he could speak outloud.

"I'm going to cuff you now," he said, watching Oikawa's reactions. "Your friends are safe, but we're taking you into custody."

Relief flashed in the other man's eyes then, and a certain amount of resignation. "They didn't do anything," he muttered.

"Well get it figured out," Kuroo replied. "The truth will come out."

Oikawa gave a short laugh. "You care about the truth? That's kind of you."

Smirking, Kuroo patted his shoulder. "I'm always this kind."


	8. Catching their breath

Kenma sighed, surveying the two patients in the medbay. Both were sedated for the moment. The one from Seijou would stay that way for the foreseeable future. Bokuto would probably wake up any minute now.

So first, the prisoner.

He was strapped down to the bed just in case. Wouldn't need to be moving anytime soon anyhow. Kuroo had done a number on his collarbone. Fortunately the bone hadn't broken through the skin, and the scans showed no signs of major internal bleeding. It would still probably take a while to heal.

Kunimi Akira. The man himself didn't look like that big of a threat. Slender, with dark hair parted in the middle and bruises under his eyes.

Still, Kenma knew well enough not to judge based on looks alone.

He was fairly certain that Kunimi was the hacker who'd been causing him so much trouble. Knowing what he knew now, he wondered if the man was one he could grow to respect.

A sound from the other side of the room called him back to his next patient. Gaze softening a bit, Kenma walked over to Bokuto. The man was dazed as he came out from under the effects of sedation.

Bokuto blinked up at him, eyes taking a minute to focus. "Where's 'kaashi?" he said.

"He's with Kuroo," Kenma said. "They're taking care of the other prisoners. Sorry about the sedation, I wanted to make sure you were out while I was taking care of your leg."

"Huh. You do medical stuff too. All-around helper, aren't you?"

"Not really," Kenma said, sitting in a chair next to him and leaning forward to check on his leg. "It's just something I can do."

He didn't want to say that he basically hadn't wanted to talk to his two other teammates after what had happened during the mission. It was easier to just be here.

"You look tired," Bokuto said, hand sliding down to pat Kenma's arm.

He was tired.

He glanced over at the hand rubbing over his shirt and debated throwing it off. Bokuto wasn't meaning any harm, though, and he didn't want to be mean to someone still feeling the effects of sedation.

He refused to acknowledge that it might be just a little bit comforting.

"I hate being tired," he said instead, focusing on the grafts on Bokuto's skin. The shot had bitten into the muscle on the outside of his leg, and debris had been embedded into the flesh. Kenma had carefully picked every piece out, scanning several times to make sure that no foreign objects remained. The antibiotics should take care of any infection. The muscle would take a little while to repair, but fortunately the damage wasn’t extensive. Most of it was just cosmetic.

It could’ve been so much worse.

Kenma hated the fighting. He hated running. Hated not being in sync with his team, hated having one of his teammates injured.

"Hey, hey," Bokuto murmured, rubbing at his back now. "It's ok. I'm gonna live, right? And we caught the bad guys. Good day's work, right?"

"Yeah," Kenma murmured, sighing. "Except they're not the bad guys."

Bokuto's hand stilled. "What?"

Glancing over at him Kenma shrugged "I mean, I'm pretty sure they stole something, but not what we were told they stole."

He watched Bokuto's face carefully. Bokuto was the long-term Fukurodani employee. Kuroo and Kenma were still in the process of figuring everything out. If this was standard procedure with the corporation, Bokuto would probably know about it.

Kenma found himself hoping that Bokuto wouldn't have a clue.

"That's," Bokuto said, brow furrowing, "that's not good, is it."

His hand was patting Kenma's back again, but he seemed lost in thought.

"It's not," Kenma said, feeling some tension deep within him uncoil. "I'm going to wait till we're all together to talk about the details, but you're right. It's very not good."

"We didn't catch the bad guys," Bokuto said, frowning.

"No," Kenma agreed. "Though, we didn't kill anyone either, so that's a plus. And we have four of the Seijou gang in custody, including the one who shot you."

"Eh?" Bokuto asked. "Didn't Kuroo -"

"Yeah," Kenma said, leaning back and pointing at the other bed. "He's over there."

Bokuto glared at the man in the other bed. "And people complain about me shooting first and asking questions later."

Kenma chuckled. "Do you?" he asked.

"Nah," Bokuto said. "Not normally. Too much paperwork."

"I see."

Bokuto's hand moved so that he was patting Kenma's cheek. "You're cute, you know that?"

"And you're high as a kite," Kenma said, raising an eyebrow.

"What's a kite?"

"It's a - you now, it'd be easier if I showed you sometime."

"Oh, ok," Bokuto said, hand still rubbing small circles on Kenma's face. "Well, you're still cute."

Bokuto's hand was different than Kuroo's. Thicker, rougher. Kenma should've moved away. Bokuto really was probably floating pretty nicely with all the painkillers in his system. That was on top of the fact that normally Kenma hated to be touched.

But Bokuto's hand was warm, and surprisingly gentle.

"You should probably get some sleep," Kenma finally said.

"You too," Bokuto said. "You're tired too."

"No."

"I'll scoot over and make room."

"No, Bokuto."

"The other's won't mind. They've got everything under control, right? And besides, they can come in and get us if they need us."

"Er," Kenma said, looking to the side, "Ah no, actually they can't."

"What?" Bokuto asked, golden eyes widening.

"Um, I kinda sorta, well. Locked them out?"

Bokuto stared at him. "You what?"

"Well," Kenma said, fidgeting a bit, "They were bothering me. So I locked them out."

Bokuto stared at him some more, then his lips started to twitch and he laughed out loud. "You - you locked Akaashi out - locked him out of a room on his own ship? Because he was bothering you? Akaashi? Oh, Kenma. That's priceless. That's it. We're keeping you. It's settled," Bokuto said, reaching out and pulling Kenma down onto his chest in an awkward hug.

"Hey!" Kenma said, struggling for a moment before he relaxed into the slightly cramped position.

If he'd been asked a few days ago if he'd ever end up in a spot like this, he would have been completely scandalized.

But Bokuto was warm, and felt good, even if the pats he was giving to Kenma's back were just a little too hard.

"You stink," Kenma muttered, eyes closing as he listened to Bokuto's heartbeat. It was strong and steady despite the trauma he'd gone through that day.

"Yeah, yeah," Bokuto murmured, "It's just my manly aroma. You probably stink too."

He probably did.

Bokuto sounded like he was going to sleep again, real sleep this time and not just a drugged stupor. His arm was still heavy over Kenma's back. The position Kenma was in wasn't really comfortable at all.

Still, he supposed this was alright. At least for the moment.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I can't believe he locked us out," Akaashi said.

There was no answer, just the sound of a ball being thrown up in the air and caught behind him. He and Kuroo were sitting in the bridge. They'd been sitting in the bridge for at least a half-hour. Akaashi had already probably made the same statement a dozen times already. He still just couldn't believe it.

At least they had a live feed into the medbay, and access to patient status.

Bokuto looked fine. Bokuto and Kozume - no, Kenma, he was being childish - looked perfectly fine.

Frowning, Akaashi turned around and looked at Kuroo. "How can you be so calm?"

The other man was leaning back in a chair with his feet up on a desk, tossing a ball up in the air and catching it. He shrugged. "Used to it."

"Used to it?"

"Yeah," Kuroo said, eyes on the ball in the air. "It's never a good idea to piss Kenma off."

"You pissed him off? How?"

"I yelled. He hates yelling."

"Oh."

Kuroo shrugged again. "I probably would've yelled more once we got the prisoners settled in."

 

"So this way he gets to avoid the confrontation? That seems healthy."

"Nah. This way we cool down. I know he's safe, and I'm betting we could probably talk to them if we really wanted to. He just needs space sometimes, that's all."

"Oh," Akaashi said, turning back to the monitors. Sure enough, the mic option into the medbay was unlocked. He thought about using it, but decided to switch the feed down to the holding cells instead. Bokuto looked fine. Even if Akaashi wasn't the one he was holding right now, he was fine, and Akaashi couldn't help the small niggling of guilt that crept up on him as he thought about yelling at Kenma right now.

He heard the ball hit Kuroo's palm a few times before the other man spoke up. "What did you do to piss him off?"

Akaashi knew.

Akaashi knew good and well.

Instead of answering, though, he just said, "The prisoners look good. I'm glad we didn't have any more serious injuries."

Oikawa had insisted that they all three be placed in a cell together, even though there were only two bunks in the cell. He was currently lying down with the man who'd attacked Akaashi on the roof, talking quietly. The man Kenma had knocked out was still sleeping on the other bunk.

The sound of the ball behind him had stopped.

Akaashi turned to see what Kuroo was up to and found the man right next to him.

"What," Kuroo said, "did you do?"

Akaashi pulled back and looked down. Kuroo's eyes were starting to show faint glimmers of red, just like Kenma's did.

A hand reached out to grab his chin and force him to look upward. "What did you do?"

Akaashi hit the hand away, scowling up at him. "Don't touch me."

Kuroo's eyes were full on red now, and widening in surprise. "You're -"

"Yes," Akaashi said, recognizing the same look that had been on Kenma’s face when he found out about Akaashi’s Alephian heritage. The shock seemed deeper on Kuroo’s face somehow, though.

"Does Kenma know?” Kuroo said. “Wait, of course he knows. The brat, he didn't -"

"I'm half," Akaashi said.

"There's no such thing as half," Kuroo said, looking thoughtful.

"What?"

"I'll explain. But first, what did you do to upset him?"

Akaashi sighed. "When we left the ship, I left him behind. I rushed ahead and missed the guy behind him, and got caught up with the other guy. It was a rookie mistake." He flipped the screen back to the medbay, checking Bokuto's vitals again. "I was just - I let my emotions get the best of me."

"Oh," Kuroo said, "Yeah, don't do that. He gets really pissed off if you leave him behind. You're lucky, actually. The first time I did it, he royally kicked my ass."

"Realy?" Akaashi asked, looking up at him. "But he's -"

Kuroo chuckled, pulling up a chair and sitting down next to Akaashi. "Trust me. Size doesn't matter. He's fierce when he gets motivated enough. Doesn't happen very often because he tires out pretty quickly but by then things are normally settled."

"Oh," Akaashi said. He remembered the flurry of punches Kenma had given to Akaashi's attacker.

Kuroo reached over, gently placing his hand on top of Akaashi's and squeezing. "It's ok. He'll get over it," he said. "He was just worried about you. We've lost friends before, and, well. Kenma doesn't make friends very easily."

Akaashi nodded, turning his hand to squeeze Kuroo back. His skin was tingling slightly where the other man touched it, and it was almost as if he could feel comfort running up his arm. It was different. Nice. He looked up into Kuroo's eyes, noting the shadows of grief inside them.

There was something else there too, growing as Kuroo looked at him.

"Now, enough about Kenma," Kuroo said. "Tell me about Akaashi."

"Not a lot to tell," Akaashi said, glancing down at their hands again. Kuroo's eyes were too intense like that, even with the lazy-eyed stare. "My mom met some guy and hooked up and got pregnant. It happens, most of my siblings don't know who their fathers were. Mine just happened to be Alephian."

"That's unusual."

Akaashi stiffened. "It may not be the custom where you're from, but -"

"No, no," Kuroo said, squeezing again, fingertips patting a soothing rhythm on Akaashi's palm, "I meant for you to be Alephian because your dad was. Normally it doesn't work like that."

"What do you mean? It's all genetics, right?"

"Ah, well. Partially, I guess," Kuroo said. "Though that's not the major thing."

"What is?" Akaashi asked, looking at him again.

Kuroo's eyes were amused. "You don't know, do you?"

Akaashi flushed. "Kenma said the same thing," he muttered, starting to pull away.

"No, no, of course. Of course you wouldn't. It's not like we come with an instruction manual. Hell, I'm surprised you even knew yourself."

"Yeah, well, it's not like my mom was irresponsible or anything. She did get the guy's information."

"Of course, of course," Kuroo said, pulling Akaashi's hand to rest it between them, knees touching. "But the real secret to what you are isn't in your genetics. It's what's in here. In you, me, Kenma, all of us." His finger was tracing a line over Akaashi's palm.

Raising an eyebrow, Akaashi looked up at him."Is this some metaphysical religious thing?" he asked dryly.

"Not at all," Kuroo said, chuckling. He took a breath. "You can't - you can't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you. I mean, you won't be able to. Not even Bokuto. Don't try, it's not - well, just don't try."

Akaashi stared at him a moment, then gave a slow nod. "Alright."

"You have nanites in you. In your bloodstream, in your organs, in your brain. Little tiny machines."

"What?"

"Yeah. It's how I knew what you were - your eyes will flash sometimes, especially with strong emotions. It's one of the things they built into us, a way for us to identify each other. It’s only visible to other Alephians. It’s important, though, because we aren't allowed to really hurt people of other tribes. No wars, you see. They wanted the perfect society."

"Who?"

"The founders. The ones who made us," Kuroo said.

"Oh," Akaashi murmured, distracted by the feeling of Kuroo's fingers against his skin. "Perfect society, eh. Did it work?"

"If it had, my leader wouldn't be a teenage boy stuck under the thumb of some other tribe’s ruling household," Kuroo muttered.

"Oh."

"But, that's a different story. And I guess overall they did a pretty good job. I mean, if you went to Aleph, you could have all the rights of citizenship. Free food, housing, education. Employment. Some tribes might even offer to foster you, if your aptitude was high enough for them. It's really not that bad, in comparison with a lot of places."

Akaashi thought about the children he'd seen huddled together in the halls of Oikawa's apartment building. "Yeah," he said, reaching out with his other hand to trace the back of Kuroo's arm. "So these nanites, they're what let you be faster?"

"Yeah."

"Is that what I feel, when you touch me? When I touch you?"

"Yeah," Kuroo said, fingertips tracing up the inside of Akaashi's arm. "I mean, not all the time. But I'm focusing right now, and you are too, so your nanites are responding to mine. Feel good?"

Akaashi shivered, looking up at him. "Yeah."

Kuroo was smirking again. Akaashi wanted to process all of this information, everything he'd learned over the past - wow. Not even two days.

He wanted to analyze everything.

He suddenly wondered if the nanites in him helped him do that.

He had a million questions inside, none of them formulated enough to put into words.

He looked up at Kuroo again, that mess of dark hair and shining eyes. He wanted -

The sound of banging came through the speakers. "Are you just gonna let us rot down here?" Oikawa yelled.

"Tsk," Akaashi muttered, turning back to the screen and flipping it over to the holding cells to make sure nothing was amiss. They looked fine. "I should mute him."

Kuroo chuckled. "Yeah."

It was petty, too petty for Akaashi normally, but he decided suddenly that petty was ok. Pressing the mute button on the holding cells he thought back to the reason the four prisoners were on the ship to begin with. "Did Kenma tell you what was going on?"

"Not yet," Kuroo said. "Just said things weren't what they seemed, then ducked into the medbay with Bokuto and the other guy."

"Troublesome."

"Yeah. He'll let us know once he's done sulking, though. I'm sure he has a good reason. Until then, well. It's not as if they're going anywhere."

"True," Akaashi said, feeling Kuroo's hand slide up his arm to his shoulder, brushing against his neck. He looked over, raising an eyebrow.

Kuroo sat back, lifting his hands in surrender. "Sorry, sorry."

"You come on to every guy you meet?" Akaashi asked.

"What?" Kuroo said, considering the question. "No. Not really."

"Is it because you found out I'm Alephian?"

"Ah, no," Kuroo answered, pausing a moment. "It's because you like me touching you."

Akaashi stared at him, feeling his ears start to heat up before he glanced away. "I'm not sure that's a good enough reason."

"Fair enough," Kuroo said.

After a few minutes of silence Kuroo reached out and flipped Akaashi's screen back to the medbay, fingertips tracing over the forms of their two teammates.

"I wonder if we've left them in there long enough," Kuroo murmured.

"Maybe," Akaashi said. "Looks like they're asleep."

"He can't be comfortable sleeping like that."

It was true, Kenma didn't look all that comfortable draped across Bokuto's chest.

"Well, nothing we can do about it, right? I mean, we're locked out."

"Ah, yeah, well."

Kuroo pressed the lock icon and typed in a series of numbers. The lock changed to green.

"How did you - I thought-" Akaashi said, looking over at him.

Kuroo just shrugged, looking down at the screen. "He knows I wouldn't use it while we were still mad," he said. "And he knows I wouldn't accept not being able to get to him if something went wrong and he needed me. Kenma, well, he's complicated."

"I see," Akaashi said. He hesitated a moment before continuing, "Bokuto - he's complicated too. You haven't seen it yet, but you will."

"You love him?"

They glanced at each other, and Akaashi nodded. "Oh, yes."

"He's worth it, even with the complications?"

Akaashi shrugged. "Without the complications, he wouldn't be who he is."

"Yeah," Kuroo said, looking back at the screen. "I get that."

They watched the screen for a little while. The other two looked peaceful like that.

"Do you want to go check up on them?" Kuroo finally asked.

"In a few minutes," Akaashi replied. "It's easier, somehow, just to know that I can."

"Yeah," Kuroo said. "Sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

Nodding, Akaashi said, "Will you let me know the passcode?"

"No."

Akaashi glanced over at him. "No?"

"Kenma will tell you if you ask. Once you've talked to him."

"Alright. I - I don’t like being locked out of spaces in my ship. If it was just him being alone, that might be one thing, but with Bokuto -"

"Ah, that makes sense, yeah. Well. Just talk to him about it. He's not always good at knowing what needs to be negotiated when dealing with new people."

Akaashi nodded. They'd all come together so easily, it was easy to forget that some things would still have to be worked out.

He glanced toward the door.

"Ready now?" Kuroo asked.

"Yeah," Akaashi answered. "Yes, I think I am."


	9. Put up or shut up

Oikawa banged his head against the glass at the front of their cell, sighing. "I think they've muted me," he said.

"Lucky bastards."

"Hey! Iwa-chan. That's not nice."

"Yeah," Iwaizumi said, motioning him over to the bed where he was sitting.

Oikawa sighed, flopping down on the bed and leaning against the wall. "I hate this. I hate all the waiting."

"Shut up, Trashykawa," Iwaizumi said, tapping his fist against him. "It could've been a lot worse, you know?"

"I know," Oikawa murmurs.

They still don't know how it was going to turn out.

The guy who'd captured him - Kuroo - had said they'd all get together and talk about things soon, but soon felt like it was two hours ago. "I hope Kindaichi's alright."

"You've already checked on him a dozen times," Iwaizumi said. "And the blond one who checked us over said he was fine, so don't worry."

"I'll worry if I want to," Oikawa said, pouting as he looked over. "That shorty better not be hurting Kunimi."

"I doubt he is," Iwaizumi said. "He seemed reasonable."

"Reasonable?" Oikawa said, giving Iwaizumi the once over.

"Yes."

Iwaizumi lifted a hand to Oikawa's neck again, tilting his head to the side and pressing in against the bruises there. Oikawa winced but didn't say anything.

"We really did get lucky," Iwaizumi muttered.

He was right. Oikawa knew he was right. That didn't make him feel any better, though.

"At least the bastard didn't go after my pretty face. I need it, you know."

Iwaizumi just rolled his eyes at that. His face hadn't fared quite so well. He had a split lip and a bruise over one cheekbone. One of his eyes was starting to turn all sorts of colors. "I bet that blondie just got the jump on you,” Oikawa said. “His hair looks like those puddings we used to get in school. I should call him that. Mr. Pudding."

"Pudding-chan?" Iwaizumi asked, a note of amusement in his voice.

"No. He doesn't deserve the chan part. He's not nice. He beat you up."

"Yeah, well," Iwaizumi said. "He did surprise me -"

"See! I knew he cheated!"

"- but he's still pretty good. Though how he unlocked my phone, I don't know."

"I bet he cheated."

"Maybe," Iwaizumi said, looking thoughtful. "I'm glad he did, though."

If he hadn't -

Oikawa knew what would've happened. He'd seen his own death in the eyes of the man who'd captured him. The hand at his throat hadn't just been for show.

It made him shiver a bit.

"Yeah, well. They've got an unfair advantage, anyways. Alephians. Super-soldiers. That's why they're in all the war movies you like so much."

"Yeah," Iwaizumi said. "Though if you think about it, they're also a little bit like aliens."

"Whaaaat? No way."

"Yep. You finally met your aliens, Oikawa."

"No! They don't count. They're just humans with extra - oomph. Real aliens are way better."

"Sure, sure."

Oikawa frowned down at his lap, gaze resting on the place where Iwaizumi's hand was resting next to his leg. He glanced over at Kindaichi and sighed, lowering his hand and carefully interlocking his fingers with Iwaizumi's. It was warmer this way, that was all. And Iwa-chan didn't object.

"Are you going to tell them everything? When they pull us in to talk," Iwaizumi said.

"Everything?" Oikawa asked, thinking it over. "I'll tell them about the past, I guess. Why we did it, how I found out, learning about the shipment. I mean, I guess.... well. Maybe not everything. I don't like letting them know someone helped me. I don't know who it was, but it still feels a little bit like giving them up, doesn't it?"

Iwaizumi leaned his head back against the wall. "It depends on what they're like, I guess. If they really want to help."

"Maybe. I don't trust them though."

Nodding, Iwaizumi said, "What about the shipment?"

"No way. Maki and Matsu are safe, they'll take care of it. The drugs need to get to the kids that need them."

"Yeah. I agree."

"So you'll back me up?"

"Don't I always? Well, unless you're being a dumbass."

"Iwa-chan!"

Iwaizumi just laughed and tugged Oikawa so that he was leaning against his shoulder. Oikawa huffed, snuggling closer. His best friend wasn't usually this demonstrative, especially where other people could see. Almost losing each other was hard, though.

They rested that way for a few minutes, Oikawa counting the Iwaizumi's breaths and tracing his fingers over the back of the other man's hand. It was terrifying to think that he could've lost this. Lost any of his friends. He still couldn't believe it, that everyone was ok.

They were lucky, far luckier than anyone had the right to be.

It had Oikawa wondering if they might possibly even make it out of this alive.

"Hey Iwa-chan," he murmured.

"Hmm?"

"You remember when we were little, and used to dream of being space captains? Roaming around the galaxy looking for aliens?"

"And space beetles. Yeah, I remember."

"Ew," Oikawa said, scrunching up his nose. "Space beetles sound so icky."

Iwaizumi laughed. "And aliens are that much better?"

"Of course. Aliens are amazing."

"Sure. But yeah, what are you thinking?"

"If we get out of this alive...."

"We will."

"You're so confident, Iwa-chan," Oikawa said, voice low.

"Because it's true. We have so far, haven't we?"

"Yeah..."

"So when we get out of this..."

"Oh. Right. Yeah. Hmm," Oikawa said, worrying at his bottom lip. "You wanna try and do it? For real, I mean?"

"Become space captains? Go around the galaxy hunting aliens?"

"Yeah. Well, finding them. And we wouldn't be hunting, we'd be making friends."

"Right. Because all the aliens are going to be friendly."

"Of course! Everybody likes me, Iwa-chan. Don't get jealous."

Iwaizumi snorted at that. "Right."

"But yeah. Finding aliens, and maybe... you know."

"What?"

"Maybe somewhere out there, there's a cure."

Iwaizumi was quiet for a moment, then he turned and moved to wrap an arm around Oikawa's body, pulling him close and resting his chin on top of his head. "Yeah," he said softly, embrace warm and gentle as he held Oikawa tight. "Maybe, somewhere out there, there is.

~~~~~~~~~

Bokuto's thigh hurt like hell.

He'd managed to walk to the conference room on his own. Akaashi had been fussing over him, which was nice. But now they had to be serious.

He leaned back in his chair at the head of the table and watched as their four prisoners filed in, Kuroo behind them. The one who'd shot Bokuto had his arm in a sling. Served him right, really. He glanced over at Bokuto then away, head dropping.

Bokuto wondered for a moment if the kid had been aiming at his head.

He examined the display in front of him on the table, pulling up the file Kenma had put together. The kid’s name was Akira Kunimi. The one with the weird turnip-like hairstyle was Yutarou Kindaichi. The one with the spiky hairstyle and beat up face was Hajime Iwazumi. And the pretty boy with the arrogant look on his face?

Touro Oikawa.

Bokuto frowned, glancing over as Akaashi sat beside him.

"We have a message from Tsukishima, if you want."

"Anything urgent?"

"No. I'd imagine it has something to do with this case, but we can check it later."

Bokuto nodded in agreement, feeling at a little bit of a loss. He was still mulling over what Kenma had told him in the medbay. The blond was hunched over the side of the table messing with something on the screen in front of him.

He looked nervous for some reason.

Shooting a look over at Oikawa, Bokuto frowned. Their prisoner looked like an arrogant son of a bitch, even in cuffs. Then again, maybe pride was the only thing he had going for him right now.

"Sit down," Bokuto said.

Oikawa did so, very obviously putting his cuffed hands on the table in front of him. The other Seijou members followed suit. Iwaizumi leaned back in his chair, watching the entire situation carefully. Kunimi kept shooting looks over at Kenma. Kindaichi just seemed lost in thought.

Bokuto glanced up at Kuroo, who'd chosen to take up a post next to the door, hand on the butt of his gun. Bokuto doubted very much that any of these guys would try anything, but it was nice to know Kuroo had their backs if they did.

Looking over at Kenma, Bokuto hesitated, floundering as he tried to think of how to start the meeting. Then he just decided to go for it.

"Kozume," he said, "you wanted to tell us all something?"

Kenma flinched at the question, and glanced up before nodding. "I did," he said, moving fingers over the screen in front of him. "Just so we're all on the same page here. Yesterday we got a report of a stolen shipment of Hydroxine-47. As you all know, Hydroxine-47 is a highly controlled substance, illegal in many parts of the Confederation and only useful in a small number of treatments that are considered by many to be highly questionable. The information we received was that the shipment had been stolen by Seijou, most likely for sale off-planet."

"We didn't steal it," Oikawa said, shooting Kenma a look.

"You're right," the blond said, face serious. "From everything I've pieced together so far, it looks like that shipment never even existed."

"What?" Bokuto said.

Oikawa shot him a look of vindication.

"You all did steal a shipment," Kenma continued, "but it appears that the someone altered the information in the system about the shipment so that it would appear to to contain Hydroxine-47 instead of what it actually contained. Am I correct that what you actually stole was a shipment of DX9-317, otherwise known as Clytomestrin?

Oikawa was silent, a stubborn look on his face.

After a moment, Iwaizumi sighed and said, "Yes. We did."

"Iwa-cha-" Oikawa said, turning to look at him.

"Shut it," Iwaizumi muttered.

Kenma just nodded. "That would align with the messages I found on your phone. And also with this."

A hologram of the pill bottle they'd found in Oikawa's apartment appeared in the middle of the table, rotating slowly.

"I'm not really sure how it connects," Kenma said, "since it doesn't appear to be a part of the shipment you stole, but I'm sure you can tell us the story. Right?"

Oikawa stared at the hologram, then glanced sheepishly at Iwaizumi who was giving him a dirty look.

"Fine," Oikawa muttered. "I'll tell you."

Bokuto leaned forward in his seat, interested to hear the story.

Sighing, Oikawa began. "A couple of years ago, I got approached by the Kita medical branch of the Fukurodani corporation. I have a background in chemistry, and they were wanting to hire me for their pharmaceutical division. I passed the preliminary interviews and started work on a probationary basis, and then the kids started getting sick.

"At first - at first I thought everything would be fine. I even knew people working on manufacturing the drug to treat it. But then I found out from my aunt how much they were saying the drug would cost, and I knew the company was making it for so much less than that. I just - it made me sick, so I dropped out, turned down the job. I went to go stay with my aunt and my nephew, trying to do what I could to keep him from getting worse. We even got some of the drug, you know? But the funny thing was, it didn't help.

"It didn't help a lot of kids. All the doctors were saying it just came too late to do any good. We had to put my nephew in a facility. My aunt and uncle - they lost everything. A lot of us did. And then we got word that the disease had spread out into the towns outside the city too, places where people don't have nearly as much as we have here. I just -"

Oikawa stopped a moment. Iwaizumi had moved his shackled hands to the table and was brushing them against Oikawa’s arm. For a moment, Bokuto wasn't sure if Oikawa would go on, but he did.

"A few weeks ago," he said, "I got a package in the mail. That pill bottle was in it. I don't know who sent it."

The look he shot Kenma was fierce.

"I don't know, and I wouldn't tell you if I did. But what I will tell you is that I tested the contents of those pills against the pills my nephew had been given to take. And you know what? They were different. The pills they'd given the kids? The ones that were supposed to make them better but didn't? Well the whole reason they didn't work was because it wasn't the fucking right medicine. Someone switched it out. I don't even know what they actually gave them. A placebo, basically. But all of the DX9-317 they'd made in the labs? They were holding it back for other kids. Kids that were more important. Kids whose parents would pay even more, probably."

He was angry now - and frankly, if what he was saying was true, Bokuto didn't blame him. But that would mean -

That would mean someone in Fukurodani had done this. Had done this deliberately. Deliberately sent kids to the hospital.

Bokuto narrowed his eyes and looked up at Kuroo. He knew they had the same look on their faces when the other nodded at him, slow and sure.

They may have caught Seijou, but the bad guys were still out there.

"So what did you do then?" Akaashi asked.

"I got an anonymous tip about the shipment. I sent Iwaizumi away - he didn't have a thing to do with stealing the shipment."

"Oi -"

"You didn't!" Oikawa said, rounding on him fiercely. "The only thing you're guilty of is trying to keep me safe. That's it."

The look on Oikawa's face as he turned back to face them dared anyone to say otherwise.

"So," Oikawa said with a shrug, "We stole it."

"And where is the shipment now?" Kenma asked.

Oikawa looked away at that, a stubborn set to his jaw.

Kenma sighed. "You need to tell us."

Silence was Oikawa’s only answer.

"Fine then," Kenma said. "We can just turn you over to the corporation and let them sort it out."

"Kenma!" Bokuto said, stopping only when Akaashi laid a hand on his arm.

"Or," Akaashi said, voice gentle, "you can tell us and we can verify what you've said. If what I understand is right, all we have to go on right now is your word and some messages on a phone. That's not a lot of evidence in the face of official company records."

Oikawa narrowed his eyes glancing from Kenma to Akaashi, finally settling on Akaashi. "Would you take the medicine back?" he asked.

"Ah," Akaashi said, glancing at Bokuto.

"The kids need it," Oikawa said. "I won't let you take it from them just because of corporate bullshit."

"I'm sure we can work something out," Kenma murmured, fingers flying over glass again. "I mainly need access to the shipment documents anyways. If I have them, maybe I can trace the shipment back to its source. I've been trying to break through the security protecting the people who made the change, but whoever it is set things up surprisingly well."

"I could help," said a new voice, and Bokuto glanced over at Kunimi in surprise. "Me, and - well - there's another friend of ours too. We can probably talk them into helping, once they know everything that's going on."

Kenma looked at him a moment, then nodded. "Ok."

"The crows, you mean?" Oikawa said, glancing over.

"Crows?" Bokuto asked.

"Yeah. Another group of friends. They didn't have a thing to do with the theft either, by the way."

"Sounds like it's going to be an adventure," Kuroo said, moving forward to stand next to the table. He looked down at the shackles and then at Bokuto, raising an eyebrow. Bokuto held up a finger for him to wait.

"In the meantime," Kenma said, "people are probably going to be looking for you."

Akaashi nodded. "I haven't sent a report in to headquarters yet, but I'll have to say something. But we can always report that we lost you at the abandoned building."

"Wait," Bokuto said. "I don't care what we put on any paperwork, but we've got to tell Yamiji the truth."

"Yamiji?" Oikawa asked.

"Our chief," Bokuto replied. "No, look, we have to. But we can trust him. I promise. I trust him with my life. I'd trust him with Akaashi's life. If people are really doing this in the corporation, he'll want to know."

Oikawa frowned at him, then finally huffed. "I suppose we don't have any choice."

"Not really," Kenma said, seemingly oblivious to the glare that Oikawa shot his way.

"Alright," Kuroo said, a hint of reproof in his voice. That, Kenma reacted to. "Now that we've got things settled," he continued, "Can we unchain the prisoners?"

"I don't know," Bokuto said, "Can we?"

He looked at Oikawa, watching the other man's face as he processed the question.

"We'll be good," he finally said. "As long as you all are being upfront with us - we won't cause any problems."

"Fine," Bokuto said, glancing over at Akaashi. "We have a couple of spare bedrooms, right? Nothing fancy, but more comfortable than the cells you've been in. We'll have to keep you locked in at night for now, and I don't want you running around the ship unescorted, but it'll be more like you're our guests. Is that alright?"

Oikawa glanced at Iwaizumi, then nodded.

"Agreed," Iwaizumi said.

Kunimi's shackles were the first to come off. He and Kenma were exchanging glances soon after that, almost like they were mentally speaking some sort of secret hacker code. Kindaichi barely reacted to getting his removed, but he responded to Oikawa's questions so Bokuto thought he was probably alright.

"This wasn't what I expected to happen," Bokuto said to Akaashi, watching the others.

"Nope," Akaashi said, looking over at him. "But better to find out the truth, right?"

"Yeah. No truth, no justice."

"And considering the importance of justice to our two new teammates," Akaashi murmured," I'm glad we're actually starting to get to the bottom of this."

Bokuto nodded, watching as Kunimi shyly moved over to sit down next to Kenma, whispering things that made the blond's eyes light up with interest. Kuroo looked happy too, a fond look on his face as he watched over them all.

"Yeah," Bokuto said. "Me too."


	10. What it takes (E)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another rated E chapter u.u

When Kuroo got back to the room he found Kenma on their bed hunched over a small handheld.

"Hey," he said.

Kenma glanced at him, then looked back down at the screen. "Hey."

Kuroo eyed him thoughtfully. He was still dressed. Probably hadn't showered. As Kuroo got undressed he thought about his plans for the evening, plans that most definitely included the man curled up in front of him.

"You need to get out of those clothes, Kenma," Kuroo said, sighing as Kenma just grunted in response.

It had been a rough day, though.

A lot had gone on, and Kenma had been exposed to a lot more social interaction than he liked. That was on top of all the time spent in close quarters with their new partners. Kuroo knew Kenma liked both Akaashi and Bokuto, but he also knew Kenma was probably over the limit by now.

Tonight, though, he'd just have to deal.

Kenma grumbled as Kuroo started to undress him, sighing and pausing his game as his shirt was tugged off. He was wincing too, as much as he tried to hide it. Frowning, Kuroo tried to decide if a massage or a shower was the best thing to start out with.

"Did you pull it?" Kuroo asked, hands on Kenma's shoulder after the other one was naked and sitting back up.

"No," Kenma said, whining a bit as Kuroo pressed his thumbs into the muscle at the top of his back. "Do we have to do this now?"

"You'll want to sleep later," Kuroo murmured. "If you go to sleep like this, it's just going to be worse in the morning."

That made Kenma huffy, but he knew it was true.

Ever since he'd been injured, Kenma's shoulder muscles had a tendency to lock up after too much exertion. He didn't feel it in the moment. It didn't affect his ability to dish out more than most people thought him capable of. Afterward, though, it could get bad if not taken care of properly.

Kuroo really hated to see his kitten in pain.

He went and got the tube of medicated cream out of their bag, pondering a moment before grabbing the tube next to it as well.

Didn't hurt to be prepared.

Going back to the bed he sat behind Kenma, brushing his hair out of the way. Kenma was acting like he was ignoring him, focusing on his game. It was an old habit. He didn't play quite as much anymore; the work they did was interesting enough for him. After difficult days, though, it was easier to slip back into the familiar for a while.

Kuroo didn't really begrudge him that, though he knew they needed to talk.

He spread cream on his fingertips and rubbed them together to make sure it wasn't cold before rubbing it over Kenma's shoulder. The ridges of the scar tissue there were almost normal, now. He knew Kenma hated the scar, though he wasn't really sure why. Kuroo had plenty of scars that Kenma didn't seem to mind. Scars, Kuroo thought, were like signposts reminding you where you'd been in life. This scar was bittersweet because of the reason Kenma had been injured.

If Kuroo had his way, he'd never ever have to see Kenma in that kind of pain again.

He gripped Kenma's shoulder, pulling it back and pressing his fingertips into the muscle. Kenma sucked in a breath. It hurt, Kuroo knew it hurt, but he also knew it hurt less than it would if left alone. Focusing he activated the nanites in his fingertips, pulling Kenma's to the surface as well. They knew what to do. Smart little buggers just needed the proper reminder. Feeling their warmth he pressed his thumbs into the skin, running them over the knots in Kenma’s shoulder muscle.

Soon enough, the muscle started to loosen, and Kenma was breathing easier.

"Thank you," he said.

"Not done yet."

"Kuroo -"

"You know better, kitten," Kuroo murmured, rubbing the base of his palm against the muscle. At some point Kenma had set the game to the side. That was a minor victory on Kuroo's part.

The hard part would be getting Kenma to actually talk.

Best to start out easy.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier," Kuroo said, fingertips tracing over the reason why he'd gotten so worked up.

Kenma nodded, taking in a breath like he was going to say something but wouldn't.

It wasn't just the yelling, then. What? Ah. Yelling at him in front of their new teammates.

Kuroo made a slight noise, hand shifting to press Kenma's head to the side so he could work the muscle closer to his neck.

He was caught between being protective of Kenma and relying on him, and he hated it sometimes. Things would be easier now, with Bokuto and Akaashi, but he also knew he couldn't expect that Kenma would always be able to stay out of the line of fire. He hated it, but he would need to get over it.

Sometimes Kuroo wished they weren't so good at their jobs.

"I'll do better," he murmured, leaning forward to kiss the skin he'd just finished massaging. The cream felt strange against his lips, numbing them slightly. He didn't really care.

Kenma nodded again. "Ok," he said, letting out a deep breath.

Now came the hard part.

"Have you talked to Akaashi yet?"

Kenma's muscles tensed up. "Not yet."

"You need to," Kuroo said. "Soon. You really upset him today, locking him out away from Bokuto."

The way Kenma's shoulders hunched let Kuroo know he felt at least a bit guilty.

"He upset me," Kenma said. "And we were fine, you could see us. I knew you had the passcode if something went wrong -"

"He didn't know that, though, kitten." Kuroo murmured, working his hands down Kenma's back. "He doesn't know you. Not like I know you. How would you like it if someone tried locking you away from me if I were injured?"

Kenma pouted at that, because they both knew exactly how he'd react. It had happened before, for both of them. For some reason doctors didn't want teammates present during surgery. That didn't mean they liked it.

"He upset me," Kenma said again. "And I was just - tired."

"I know, kitten, I know," Kuroo murmured. "Just talk to him, ok?"

Kenma gave him a slight nod, leaning forward. Kuroo followed the movement of his body with his hands, sliding them up to squeeze Kenma's shoulders.

"You seemed to get along well with the guy from Seijou today," Kuroo said, changing the subject.

"Kunimi?" Kenma said, glancing back at him for confirmation before continuing. "He's good. Showed me a few things about local subnetworks that will be helpful."

"Good, good," Kuroo replied, having no idea what Kenma was talking about. That didn't matter though. "He looks like you, a little bit."

That earned him another look.

"I think you're just looking at his hair."

"No no, it's more than that. It's just..."

Kenma was looking at him again with an arch to his eyebrows that made Kuroo push his face away. "Don't look at me like that."

Kenma was silent, but he was probably smiling. Kuroo smiled himself, shifting to pull Kenma back flush against him. It's a precious bubble of happiness. Thin and delicate. Things could go so many different ways, tonight. He thought about the possibilities, turning them over in his mind.

It was the way that Kenma tilted his head to the side that decided him.

Kuroo moved his mouth to Kenma's ear, biting down on his earlobe. There was a hiss of breath from Kenma but no complaints. No complaints as Kuroo bit his way down the side of that delectable neck. No complains as Kuroo turned them, pushing Kenma down onto the bed.

Kenma's face was guarded, almost challenging, and other than breathing he hadn't made a sound since Kuroo had kissed him.

He was watching, though. Watching so close.

There were times, Kuroo knew, when things were just blissful and easy between them. Gentle times when neither one was really in charge. When it was all about laughing and coming together and feeling perfectly happy.

Other times, Kuroo needed to let go. The strain of being in charge of their old team, of all the things he'd done to make sure that he and Kenma had survived after everything that happened, all of it took a toll on him. Kenma took care of him.

Right now, he was pretty sure Kenma was feeling that same strain. He'd been in charge of a lot today, shouldered all sorts of responsibility. He needed to let go too, be reminded that they were in this together. That it was ok to make mistakes. The world wouldn't fall apart if he made a mistake, because he hadn't made any mistakes that were that important.

Kenma needed to be reminded that here, in their bedroom together, it was ok to be less than perfect.

As for Kuroo - well. Kuroo was just feeling selfish for his kitten.

He placed hands on either side of Kenma's shoulders and leaned forward, watching those golden eyes that were watching him back, looking for every little change of expression. Kenma was thinking. He could see it, watch it in the little glimmers of red in his irises, the way his breathing changed in ways Kenma probably wasn't even aware of. He knew what was coming, at least part of it. But there was a difference between knowing and feeling. There was a difference between simple want and desire.

RIght now, Kuroo wanted Kenma's desire.

Slowly, ever so slowly, he lowered his mouth towards Kenma's. It was a game, in a way. He wanted nothing more than to crash his lips down on the ones below him, taste him deep. Nothing more, that was, except for the feeling when Kenma grew impatient and tilted his head up seeking after lips that pulled back with a smirk. A little huff of breath hit Kuroo's lips at that and he chuckled, glancing up to see the spark of irritation in Kenma's eyes.

Kenma turned his head away, pouting. That was alright though. It meant that Kuroo could now survey the column of his throat, the side that was pure and unblemished by Kuroo's affections. He would change that.

He lowered his mouth down to the pale skin, sucking his way down. He wanted a sound. He wanted to tug back the first layers of Kenma's armor. He wasn't making it easy. That was ok though, Kuroo just sucked harder, biting down on the juncture between neck and shoulder. At that, he got movement, the lithe body beneath him arching up in response. The only sounds he got were little pants as he bit down harder, then harder still until he could hear Kenma's hands scrambling against the sheets.

Kuroo pulled back, surveying his handiwork. It was nice and dark. He hadn't broken skin this time. Not yet. The way Kenma was staring at him made him feel even more greedy, raised the old instinctive desire to keep Kenma all to himself, lock him away from the rest of the world so no one but Kuroo could see those red-gold eyes.

Kenma was good at making him want to be selfish.

He smirked, watching those eyes widen in response. He didn't need to look down to know that Kenma was starting to feel it. He knew it as instinctively as breathing. He also knew Kenma wanted to kiss him, but not yet. Not yet. He still hadn't earned it yet. He was still holding on too tight.

So Kuroo moved back down, lips trailing over Kenma's chest, sucking lightly at nipples as his fingertips danced along sensitive sides. It made Kenma twitch, body jerking to avoid and seek his touch in turn. Kenma's breath was coming faster now, but no sound, no sound.

Kuroo bit at Kenma's belly button, sticking his tongue lewdly in the hole. That was one of Kenma's sensitive spots, he knew. He felt Kenma's hips lift up, and was finally rewarded with a soft whine as he sucked hard at the skin at the top. It brought him satisfaction to know that Kenma would see his marks, feel them, be reminded for however long it took them to heal of exactly what Kuroo was doing to him right at this moment.

He moved between his thighs next, fingertips ghosting over the muscle there as he pushed them apart. Kenma resisted at first. Not to stop him, really. Kuroo knew he liked the feeling of the strain of muscle against force, the illusion of being overpowered. Kenma's lips, when Kuroo looked up to watch them, were red and swollen from his own teeth. It made Kuroo curl his fingers into Kenma's thighs, caught between kissing those lips or kissing something else.

It was the arch of Kenma's back that broke him, the way those red-gold eyes were starting to get hazy with lust and desire. He had to taste him. Had to kiss those lips, bite them, mark them like he'd marked everywhere else. He shot up and turned them, pulling Kenma onto him as he kissed him hard, one hand sliding into black-blond hair and holding the back of his head.

Kenma responded so sweetly. Low keening sounds spilled from his lips and were swallowed up by Kuroo's mouth as he tasted his lover’s mouth deep. The hand not in Kenma's hair patted the sheets to find the tube Kuroo had gotten out of their bags earlier, flicking it open and squeezing a messy spill of lube onto his fingertips before he reached back over and rubbed against the cleft of Kenma's ass.

They were both hungry now, Kenma pressing back against his fingers, impatient and needy. One finger pushed in, two - it didn't matter. Kenma was melting under his hand, crying out when Kuroo moved to bite down on his shoulder. Small hands curled around Kuroo's body in response, nails biting into his skin. It was raw, and hungry. The voice that Kuroo loved was in his ear filling the air with sounds of want and small pleas for more. Not one to deny his kitten, Kuroo moved.

He pressed Kenma back down onto his back and slid between his legs, pushing them up and out of the way so he could slide his fingers back into that ass, pushing in deep. The sight before him was something to behold. Kenma was a beautiful mess, hair matted with sweat and tossed around on the sheets next to his head. His lips were gorgeous, glossy and red; eyes blown wide. His body was arching off the bed, skin covered with Kuroo's marks. His hips were moving in time to the thrusting of Kuroos fingers, cock bouncing in time, red and beautiful and dribbling out precum onto Kenma's stomach.

In losing control, in coming undone, Kenma was absolutely perfect.

Kuroo wondered for a moment if Bokuto would get to see Kenma like this. If Akaashi would hear these sounds, feel the way Kenma's ass clamped down on his fingers, hungry for more. The fact that neither of those ideas bothered him in the slightest just made Kuroo all the more hungry for what was about to come.

He pulled his fingers out, almost laughing at how quickly Kenma growled and arched off the bed, reaching for him. He barely had time to grab the lube and slick his cock before he was being pulled down into more kisses. Kenma's legs locked around him and Kuroo pressed balls-deep in one thrust, rewarded by the high-pitched cry that fell from Kenma's mouth as he threw his head back in shock. That just left Kenma's neck available for Kuroo to ravage again as he thrust in fast and deep. He felt Kenma's hands scrambling on his back, seeking purchase, but he didn't want to give him that chance. It was too much, too good to hear the cries and curses that spilled from his lover's kiss-swollen lips. Kenma was falling apart, sounds devolving into half-words that might have been demands, might have been begging. Soon they were just gasps, and then moans as Kuroo gave into the temptation to kiss him again, wanting to be connected to Kenma at every level.

He was losing himself in the heat and tightness. Kenma was gone, come undone, nothing but a mass of melted desire in his arms and Kuroo loved it, loved him, loved all of this. He wanted it to go on forever. It wouldn't, he knew that too. Still, he just wanted one more thrust. One more sound. One more moment where nothing existed in the entire universe but the two of them, come together, wrapped up in each other's essence so deep there was no telling where one started and the other stopped.

Still, nothing lasted forever.

He had enough presence of mind to notice when the tenor of Kenma's cries changed, growing higher as his legs tightened. Kuroo shifted his hips, pounding relentlessly at that spot that stole the breath from his lover's lungs. He pulled back to watch, drinking in the sight of Kenma's face with absolutely no composure, the unintelligible sounds falling from his lips music to Kuroo's ears.

He watched as Kenma froze, breath caught in his throat, eyes wide as he stared at absolutely nothing, overwhelmed with pleasure as he came. It was enough, almost enough to push Kuroo over the edge but he wanted more. He pulled out, fisting his cock in his hand and stroking it fast as he knelt above Kenma, watching him blink as he rode out his orgasm. Then Kuroo let himself go. His cum spurted between them, marking Kenma's skin and mixing together with Kenma's own cum.

"Fuck," Kuroo said.

Kenma was still too far gone to respond.

He looked so fucking amazing.

Collapsing onto the bed beside him Kuroo watched Kenma's face. He was so beautiful like this. Kuroo loved this little span of time where there wasn't a thought in Kenma's head, where all he was doing was feeling. Some days it was hard to achieve. Every time, though, it was worth it.

He slid his hand over Kenma's stomach, painting his skin with their cum. That would annoy Kenma later but they needed to shower anyways. It gave Kuroo a certain amount of selfish pleasure to know that his essence was all over Kenma. It wasn't that they needed an external sign of the bond between them, but still.

Sometimes he liked to be selfish.

Soon, too soon, Kenma's eyes began to blink again, gaze shifting back and forth. Slowly Kenma turned to look at him, eyes pure red. There was a very, very satisfied smile on his face.

"Mmm," Kenma said.

Kuroo laughed, lifting a hand to brush the hair out of Kenma's eyes, forgetting that it was also the hand that was covered in their cum until Kenma's face twisted in consternation.

"You really want me to take a shower tonight," Kenma said.

Chuckling, Kuroo nodded. "Yes."

Kenma pondered that for a moment before he gave Kuroo a sly look. "Fine," he said. "But you're carrying me."

Kuroo laughed again, pulling him close and not caring about all the mess pressed between their bodies. "Alright, kitten."

Giving a pleased little sound Kenma hugged him back, fingertips tracing the marks his nails had left earlier. Those would sting once they got in the shower, Kuroo knew.

That was ok though. It was worth it.

Every single bit of this, it was all more than worth it.

At the end of the day, they were safe, happy, and in love.


	11. Exploring new territory

There was a spring in Kuroo's step as he walked into the bridge the next morning. Bokuto noticed first, nudging Akaashi.

"Oh?" Akaashi said, looking Kuroo over.

"Oh hoh oh!" Bokuto said.

Kuroo just smirked.

"Hey, Akaashi," Bokuto said, "Doesn't he look like the cat that ate the - how's it go?"

"The cat that ate the canary, Bokuto-san?"

Bokuto chuckled. "Yeah, that. Or the blondie, maybe. How is Kenma?"

Kuroo didn't even have the grace to look embarrassed. "Kenma will be in later," he said, coming over to them. "Yesterday was a long day for him."

Akaashi privately thought it had been a long day for all of them, but he wasn't going to argue the point.

"Long day and a long night, eh?" Bokuto said, slapping Kuroo on the back. Kuroo's wince at that was noticeable. "Oh?" Bokuto continued, rubbing Kuroo's back and ignoring the dirty looks Kuroo was shooting him.

"Yeah, well," Kuroo said, "Like you said, it was a long night. Jealous?"

"Maybe."

"Don't worry, there's enough of me to go around," Kuroo said, leering at Bokuto.

Akaashi just shook his head.

"Who says it's Kenma I'm jealous of?" Bokuto asked.

"Really..." Kuroo replied, leaning over and hooking an arm around Akaashi's neck. "Well maybe I'll just steal Akaashi here, how about that?"

That made Akaashi huff in annoyance. Kuroo's fingers were curling against his neck in the most interesting way, though, so it took a moment before he shrugged him off. "Can we focus on work, perhaps?"

Kuroo laughed. "Sure thing, 'kaashi," he said, ruffling Akaashi's hair before taking a chair on his other side.

Akaashi sighed, then realized Bokuto was being far too quiet. He glanced over, worried for a moment that his lover would be upset by Kuroo's actions, but evidently that wasn't the case.

Bokuto was staring at him what that predatory owl-like gaze that always made him shiver. He was caught between holding Bokuto's gaze and looking away. The silence from his other side made him wonder if Kuroo was giving him a similar look. This just wasn't fair.

"Would you want him to steal you, Akaashi?" Bokuto finally said.

Akaashi did look away at that, feeling his ears heat up. He chanced a look at Kuroo and noted the smirk on his face. Idiots both of them. Damn sexy idiots. "Shouldn't we be having this conversation with Kozume present?" he managed to say.

"Yes," Kuroo said, "We definitely should."

Akaashi's fingers stilled at that. He'd meant the question in terms of wanting to make sure all parties were around when negotiations took place, but the tone Kuroo had used suggested much more than that. Images suddenly flooded his mind - images that Akaashi felt vaguely guilty for having. Not only was Kozume not here, but, well. Akaashi was still a bit upset by what had happened the previous day.

That killed the mood entirely for him.

He frowned, switching the screens. "Focusing back on work," he said, "there are a couple of items we should probably discuss."

"Ah, yeah," Kuroo said, leaning forward. "How are our guests?"

Akaashi glanced at him, thankful that Kuroo seemed willing to focus for the moment. "Bokuto and I took them breakfast a little before you came in. They asked to be able to eat together, so we let them all go into Oikawa and Iwaizumi's room."

"Did they cause any problems?"

"No," Akaashi said, ignoring the way Bokuto was bouncing his feet in the chair beside him. "Kindaichi seems better today though. He was helping Kunimi out a lot, since he's injured."

"That's nice," Kuroo said.

"Oikawa didn't really talk to us, though Iwaizumi asked if there was a way they could contact their friends and let them know they were alright."

Kuroo looked concerned. "Is that safe? I mean, could someone trace the communication back to us?"

Akaashi frowned, then nodded. "That's my concern as well. Hopefully when Kozume joins us he'll have a better idea."

"Ah, yeah," Kuroo said, looking a bit sheepish now, "he probably will."

Akaashi glanced at him, not wanting to go back to their earlier conversation about the activities that were causing Kozume's late arrival.

"Yeah yeah," Bokuto said. "But that's one of the second things, bro. Kenma was definitely concerned about the safety of Fukurodani's internal communications, so I'll probably be going out later today and meeting up with Yamiji so I can tell him everything that's happening."

Kuroo nodded. "You need backup?"

"Nah, bro, it's just headquarters. I mean, what could happen?"

"Famous last words," Kuroo said, laughing. "But if you think it's safe."

"I'll be fine."

"You sure? I could hold your hand."

"Aww, you'd do that for me, Kuroo?"

"I'd be honored. Walk you across the street and everything."

"Wow, what a guy. Isn't he a great guy, Akaashi?"

Akaashi sighed. He was fairly certain these two would go on forever if he let them. "Yes, Bokuto-san. Now onto the next order of business - the call from Tsukishima."

"Oh yeah!" Bokuto said. "You were telling me about that yesterday."

Akaashi nodded. "He asked to meet with us later."

"Before I go?" Bokuto asked. "Do I get to see Tsukki's pretty face?"

"Wait," Kuroo said. "Meet? As in, meet face to face, or a call like we did the other day?"

Turning to him, Akaashi said, "As in meet face to face. Evidently there's some information about the case that he wants to hand-deliver to us."

"Huh," Kuroo said, leaning back in his chair and steepling his fingers. "Well, that's interesting."

"I thought so too," Akaashi said, "Especially given what we know about Kageyama's involvement. I find myself very curious about this piece of evidence he needs to hand-deliver. Ah, and no, Bokuto-san - it's probably best if you go to visit the commander as soon as possible, so you probably won't get to see Tsukishima."

Bokuto sighed. "That's no fun," he said, then brightened. "Hey, though maybe I'll get to see Yukie."

"Yeah, maybe then you can pay her back the money you owe her for those concert tickets."

"Hey! I'll pay her back eventually," Bokuto said, pouting. "And you weren't supposed to know about that. It was a special date, after all."

"Yes," Akaashi said, smiling a bit. "It was a very special date. Though I'd still prefer if you actually pay for the dates you manage to take me on."

Kuroo laughed. "He's got you there."

"Yeah well," Bokuto said, looking to the side and grumbling under his breath. "Maybe I can pay her back sometime."

"I'm sure she would appreciate it."

Kozume chose that moment to walk in the door, yawning and scratching his side.

They all turned to look at him.

Pausing mid-yawan Kozume looked at them, raising an eyebrow.

"Kenma!" Bokuto said. "Good morning. Hope you're feeling well."

Kozume blinked a moment and stared at him, then looked over at Kuroo, eyes narrowing.

"Aha," Kuroo said, "Um. Hey, Bokuto, isn't it about time we go do that thing?"

"Huh?"

"You know. The thing with the, uh, the bikes. The cleaning thing?"

"I have no idea - wait oh. Ok. Yeah, we can do that," Bokuto said, getting up.

"Right. Good. Ok. Morning Kenma," Kuroo said, starting to hurry past him with Bokuto just a few steps behind.

Kozume reached out and touched the hem of Kuroo's shirt before he passed, though, tugging Kuroo down to his level and whispering in his ear.

Whatever Kozume said must've startled him, though, because Kuroo just stared down at him a moment before pink tinged his cheeks. He and Kozume stared at each other for a moment before Kuroo slowly nodded, bolting out of the room as soon as Kozume let him go. Bokuto glanced at Kozume with something akin to wonder before following Kuroo out.

There was a faint smile on Kozume's face as he watched them go.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Kenma's body was aching.

It wasn't a bad ache, not exactly. Not a good ache either. It was just annoying.

Akaashi's presence in the room reminded him of Kuroo's admonition that they needed to talk. He sat at his station and frowned at the screens, reaching out to unlock them. He didn't want to talk. It would be so much easier those type of talks could be scripted out, with known values and quantities, so that one statement didn't lead to a whole host of possibilities.

He glanced over at Akaashi, but the other man wasn't looking at him. There was a certain set to his shoulders that hadn't been there the morning before, though.

Kuroo was right.

Then again, Kuroo was often right. That didn't mean Kenma had to do what he said.

Though he would talk to Akaashi. Eventually. Maybe when he was more awake.

Instead of doing that, though, he decided to check out some of the information Kunimi had shared with him the night before.

He traced down and around a few hidden sites, sliding through the holes Kunimi had pointed out to end up on the flip side of the city's subnetwork. He'd gotten this far the night before, sending tracers out to get a rough map of the territory. He looked at the results, noting certain hubs and hotspots. One in particular was of interest to him - sweet like sugar, Kunimi had said, the slightest hint of amusement in his voice. Amusement but also respect.

Kenma approached it, feeling out the edges. The hacker's work was delicate, careful. It him of something so he flipped over and checked the logs of some of his bots, running through their attacks and responses. There. Kageyama had slipped through his surveillance for a bit the day before when he'd gone to visit Oikawa. The bots kept getting distracted by someone's code for a good while until they broke through, and Kunimi's loops had caught them and kept them busy long enough for Seijou to get on the move.

The first hacker though -

Kenma sat back, examining the two side by side. The style was the same. Ah. Kunimi hadn't shared that information with him.

It made Kenma smile.

There was a rustle to the side and Kenma looked up, glancing over at Akaashi who met his eyes. There was tension between them. Tension Kenma didn't like.

He also wasn't ready to face it.

Instead he turned back and shunted the logs to the side, focusing back on the active hub in front of him. Sugawara Koushi. That was the hacker's name.

Kenma pressed lightly against the edges of the hub, looking for ways to gain access. It was surprisingly easy, soft almost. It didn't take long for him to realize that any entrance he gained was superficial though, sliding him along the edges of the hub. Nice.

A bit more focused exploration brought him to a gateway in the second layer. After a few tricky twists and turns he missed something, and found himself shunted all the way back outside.

That was different.

Kenma looked around to see if he had any artifacts clinging to him, but didn't see any.

That was very different. Normally, he'd found, hackers met an attack with a counterattack, an attempt to gain information about the person who'd just tried to infiltrate them.

He tried again.

This time he was able to get past two more levels of security before being kicked out. It was fun, actually. He'd caught remnants of people who'd been there before him stuck in the edges of the code. He tried again, making more progress and running up against tougher puzzles. The fifth time he found himself staring at the outside of Sugawara's hub he heard himself laughing out loud.

It shocked him.

He glanced over to see if Akaashi had heard, then looked back at the screen. This wasn't like dealing with a hacker. This was like a -

"Game," he murmured, realizing suddenly it was true. Then elements of the puzzle style reminded him of something else too. Pulling back his view he slid over the outside of the hub again, this time looking for traces of outgoing communication offworld.

There, yes.

There was a thin steady stream of communication. He sent a bot to piggyback on one of the messages and waited for it to come back with the results. Opening them, couldn't really say he was surprised.

Sugawara Koushi was a game developer. A good one, too, if the firm he was working with was any indication. Kenma had quite a few of their games. He knew he'd run up against this style of puzzle before.

As he slid back into the hub and tried to retrace his previous steps, it became clear that Sugawara Koushi was also very awake.

Instead of the levels he'd run through before Kenma found himself shunted into a thin hostile landscape. He was forced to go on the defensive. He wasn't being kicked out this time. No, this time it seemed that Sugawara wanted to latch onto him, learn everything about who Kenma was. On some levels it was more challenging. This type of encounter was one Kenma knew very well, though. He had ample tools at his disposal that were more suited to fighting than Sugawara's game-bots. As they traded salvos Kenma got deeper and deeper into the hub until he was stopped by a simple inquiry on his screen.

Frowning at it a moment Kenma examined the characters. He didn't recognize the language.

/I don't know what you're asking/ he typed.

/Who are you?/

Pondering his answer for a moment, he typed /Just a cat./

Holding his breath he waited for the answer, reminding himself that he wasn't actually supposed to be enemies with this man. He was friends with Kunimi. He was supposed to help.

The fact that Kenma liked playing with him was just a bonus.

Finally, the screen blinked with new letters. /Who sent you?/

/Kunimi/ he typed.

There was a long moment's wait, then a message popped up with a time, an address, and a passcode, followed by the simple question /y or n?/

Kenma memorized the address and passcode, and then typed /y./

The screen went blank.

It was just the view though, because a moment later he found himself kicked out of the hub again, only this time it was black and locked up tight. Evidently Sugawara Koushi didn't want any more visitors right now.

Sitting back in his chair Kenma smiled.

"Good news?" Akaashi asked.

Kenma nodded. "Have a meeting arranged with one of the crows tonight. Will probably need to take Kunimi with me."

"Ah," Akaashi said. "Bokuto is going out this morning, and then we've been asked to go meet up with someone from the Confederation Authorities. I was thinking that Kuroo and I could go, if you don't mind?"

"That's fine," Kenma said. "I was planning to spend some more time with Kunimi anyways."

"Ah, yes. They were asking today if they might be able to contact their friends on the outside. Let them know what's going on."

Pondering that for a minute Kenma said, "Probably a good idea. I know if Kuroo was taken I'd be doing everything in my power to try and get him back."

"True," Akaashi said.

"I'll work with him on that, just so we don't have any incidents. There's been enough miscommunication as is."

"Yes."

Fidgeting a moment, Kenma looked down. He had to do it sometime. Kuroo would say it was better to get it over with.

Not that Kuroo was always right, but -

"Speaking of," Kenma said before he could stop himself, "Ah. I'm sorry for locking you out yesterday while Bokuto was injured. It was... selfish of me."

He looked at the desk, not wanting to see Akaashi's reaction.

After a moment, Akaashi answered, "Yes. It was."

Kenma flinched. This was exactly why he hated apologizing. It wasn't enough that he knew he was an ass, and admitted as much, but Akaashi had to make him really feel like one too.

Stupid Kuroo and his stupid ideas about communicating.

Akaashi got up and walked over, dropping into the chair next to him. Sighing, he said, "I mean. It upset me. A lot."

Kenma nodded.

"Bokuto - he's very important to me," Akaashi said. "When he's hurt, I want to be with him. Being kept from that is painful."

Sighing, Kenma sank lower into his chair.

"But," Akaashi continued, "you had just saved my life, because I acted like a brainless idiot and rushed off without my partner, so. I forgive you."

Partner. Forgive.

Kenma looked over at him, eyes wide. Akaashi looked like he was telling the truth. In fact, he looked just a tad bit embarrassed. He eyes were sparking just a bit and he was holding out his hand, so Kenma reached out and took it, watching as the pale sparkles took over more of Akaashi's grey-green eyes. For a moment Kenma wondered if his own eyes were playing tricks on him, because the sparkles looked almost pale green instead of pure white.

It was just the green of Akaashi's eyes, though. No tribe's eyes flashed that color.

"Ok," Kenma said.

"And," Akaashi continued, "I'm sorry for running off on you like that. It was stupid of me, and disrespectful of you and your abilities. It won't happen again."

It was strange, but Kenma was getting a feeling that Akaashi was telling the complete and total truth at that moment. He looked down at their joined hands, wondering at the sensations he was picking up from his nanites. Was Akaashi doing something, even unconsciously? Kenma hadn't spent a lot of time with unbonded people, especially in situations like this, but it still felt strange.

"Ok," Kenma said again. He thought for a moment. "Um. I can't promise I won't lock you out again. Sometimes I need... space."

Akaashi nodded. "Kuroo told me. And I hope we never get mad at each other again, but if we do - he used a code? And said that you might tell it to me? If I needed to use it, just in case."

Kenma scowled. So that was how they got in. Well, he supposed it made sense.

The idea bothered him some. Akaashi was still a stranger in so many ways - but.

Looking at him, Kenma felt like he could trust him. And they were supposed to be teammates, after all.

Sucking in a breath, he gave a quick sharp nod.

"Yeah," he said. "Just - only if you really need to. And not if you're really mad."

An old fear resurfaced, of being cornered and yelled at, words thrown at him from all sides. It was stupid. He wasn't a kid anymore. He'd been in battles, faced death, been wounded. Sometimes the oldest scars were the deepest, though.

"I promise," Akaashi said.

"Ok good," Kenma said.

They were still holding hands.

Kenma didn't really want to let go. It felt good, touching Akaashi. Different than touching Kuroo, or the way Bokuto had felt yesterday. Akaashi was warm too, but quiet. Kenma glanced up and noticed that Akaashi was looking at their hands too, face peaceful.

Some knot of tension Kenma hadn't even known was inside him started to unravel as he watched the other man, studying the planes of his face.

Partner. They really needed to be partners. Kuroo and Bokuto had fallen in with each other so easily, it seemed. He and Akaashi had some of that, it wasn't deep enough yet. Kenma was pretty sure that was one reason things had gone off the rails some the day before.

He needed to be more in sync with Akaashi so that it didn't happen again.

But that would come. Teams didn't come together instantly, after all.

But the moment they finally did -

That was worth all the trouble of the time before.

Kenma smiled.


	12. Traveling Deeper

Kuroo ran his fingers over the railing of the elevator, looking out.

"Are you worried about leaving him alone with them?" Akaashi asked.

They were riding down from the roof where they'd landed the ship to the bowels of the city below.

"Not really," Kuroo said. "Kenma can hold his own in most situations, and he probably has fifteen safeguards in place to make sure they don't do anything. Hell, he probably has a keyword in place to fill the room ship with gas that'll make em all pass out until we get back. You never know with him."

Akaashi made a small noise of acknowledgement.

Of course, it wasn't an ideal situation. It was hard to get a handle on Oikawa, that was for sure. But Iwaizumi had shaken his hand before they left, and he seemed like a man who wouldn't go back on his word.

Drumming his fingers against the metal railing, Kuroo huffed out a breath, not willing to admit that it might bother him just a little. There wasn't anything he could do about it. "It's too bad Bokuto had to go to the meeting, though."

"Yes."

Kuroo glanced over at Akaashi, noticing that he was a bit tense as well. Giving the other man a tight smile Kuroo looked back out the window.

The light faded away after a certain level here in the heart of the city. He could see lamps on behind windows in the buildings across from them, but none seemed to really pierce the murky darkness. "Do you always meet them down here?" he asked.

"No," Akaashi said. "We don't normally meet. Well, not for business reasons."

Glancing back at him Kuroo raised an eyebrow in inquiry.

Akaashi shrugged, shoulders rolling in one smooth motion that made Kuroo think of a bird fluffing it's wings. "We've been known to hang out socially. Bokuto-san, Tsukishima and I. Once or twice.

Kuroo studied Akaashi's face but it gave nothing away. "I see," Kuroo said, thoughtful. "Is that why Bokuto is so fond of him?"

Akaashi glanced away. "Ah, he finally said. "This is our floor."

They exited the elevator and walked out onto the street, instantly hit with an overwhelming array of sounds and smells. Horns were blaring and several people were playing music far too loud. There were stalls parked at the edge of the sidewalk selling all sorts of fried foods and cheap goods, and a couple of buskers luring in the unwary to play their games. Down here the signs were neon, the lights scrolling out over the middle of the street in an attempt to catch people's eye. It was chaos. Kuroo hoped for a moment that Kenma would never have to come down here.

Then he realized he'd be down here in just a few hours, if all went well.

"The address for this evening is that way," Akaashi murmured, pressing close to Kuroo and talking into his ear so that he could be heard. "It's a few blocks away. The roads are a bit convoluted in that section, but this is the closest access point."

Kuroo nodded, glancing over at Akaashi. It was hard, with him this close, not to be reminded of how gorgeous the other man was. Akaashi held his gaze for a moment and then motioned for them to start moving down the street.

People seemed to flow out of Akaashi's way like water around a stone. Kuroo watched carefully, eyes darting in every direction to check for threats. Akaashi walked down here like he belonged, like he ruled.

It made Kuroo want to know more about him.

They finally ducked down a few stairs and entered a small restaurant. When the door shut behind him Kuroo was thankful for the blessing of silence. Inside it was dark, with what looked like wooden paneling on the wall and a long bar down one side of the narrow space. The man behind the bar nodded at Akaashi like he'd been there before, and motioned to a table near the back of the restaurant where two men were seating.

"You've been here before?" Kuroo asked.

Akaashi nodded, not turning back to him. "Bokuto-san and I used to work down here. In the evening, this place is a good spot to pick up information. We were here relatively often."

"I see."

The two men at the table didn't notice as the approached. The blond one - probably Tsukishima - had his back to them and was talking softly while the one with black hair looked down at the table.

"I still don't know why you care," the man who was probably Tsukishima said. "I mean it's not like he -"

"Shh!" said the other man, head suddenly turning to look straight at Kuroo. He had blue eyes and an angry scowl. Probably the one they called Kageyama.

Kuroo smirked.

"Ah," the blond said, turning his head. Glasses, check This was definitely the man who they'd chatted with the other day. He looked taller in person. "Nice of you all to join us."

"it's our pleasure," Akaashi said, sliding into the chair opposite Kageyama. Kuroo appreciated his thoughtfulness; it meant Kuroo would have his back to the wall and could watch the doorway as well.

After sitting down Kuroo took a moment to study the two men. Tsukishima was watching him just as closely, eyes appraising behind his glasses. Taking the time for a long thorough look, Kuroo had to admit to himself he could see the appeal. He was immediately amused at himself at his reaction, especially considering all the other things that were on his plate. It was the stress of the situation, though. Always ramped everything up, including his sex drive.

Instead of dwelling on the subject, Kuroo looked over at Kageyama.

The man was something of a wreck. He was fidgeting with his fingers, picking at hangnails. His gaze was drifting from Kuroo to Akaashi and back again, lips pressed together like he had things he wanted to say but wouldn't let them out.

Glancing at Akaashi, Kuroo wondered how best to proceed.

Tsukishima answered that question by asking one of his own. "How is your investigation proceeding?"

Akaashi leaned forward, and said, "Rather well, actually. We got a lead on them just yesterday."

"Oh? And how did it pan out?"

Kuroo glanced over at Kageyama again. He wondered if it was really worth playing their cards so close to the vest. He thought it over a moment as Tsukishima and Akaashi looked at each other, neither one willing to give an inch. He wondered if Kageyama was always this much of an open book. Then again, from what they knew of his behavior with this case, he cared.

"It went well," Kuroo finally said, glancing over to meet Akaashi's eyes to see if he'd object.

"I see," Tsukishima said. "Successful, then?"

"Partially."

"Any casualties?"

Ah, and there was the real question.

"Bokuto was injured," Akaashi said. "One of the Seijou gang members shot him."

Tsukishima's facade cracked a bit at that. "Is he alright?"

"It could have been worse. The bullet tore through the outside of his thigh. He'll be alright."

"That's good."

Kageyama finally spoke up. "And the people from Seijou?"

The look Tsukishima shot him at the question was concern layered over with annoyance.

"Well," Akaashi said lightly, "Kuroo managed to injure the one who shot Bokuto."

"Broken collarbone," Kuroo said. "He'll be fine. We apprehended him and three other members of the gang. No other major injuries, though they were a little banged up."

The relief on Kageyama's face was palatable. Tsukishima, however, wasn't done.

"I didn't hear anything about a prisoner capture in the case," he said.

"You didn't?" Kuroo said, glancing at Akaashi. "How interesting."

"It is," Akaashi said. "Well, that on top of the fact that I thought we were coming here so that you could give information to us. Something that had to be given to us in person?"

"They didn't do it," Kageyama said, ignoring the glare that Tsukishima shot him.

"Oh?" Akaashi said. "They didn't steal the shipment?"

"Well - they didn't steal what the report said they did."

"And how do you know this?"

"Kageyama -" Tsukishima growled.

The dark-haired man shook his head. "He told me. To my face. I know when he's lying - trust me, I know. He wasn't lying about this. And he wouldn't do this. None of them would."

"He told you to your face?" Akaashi asked, tone still light.

Tsukishima glanced at him then, and then at Kuroo, a frown dancing over his lips. "You both know about this already.

Akaashi looked at him. "We do?"

"You do," Tsukishima said, "both about the shipment and also about Kageyama meeting with Oikawa. Neither of you were surprised when he told you."

Kuroo glanced at Akaashi and shrugged. The man was good.

"You're right," Akaashi said. "It was Kageyama who let us to them, actually."

Kageyama looked down at the table at that.

"Yes," Tsukishima said. "He thought that might have been the case. But the interesting thing is that you know about the shipment. Ah - hmm. Is that why you haven't turned them in?"

Kuroo grinned, enjoying the way Tsukishima's eyes watched him from across the table. "Perhaps."

"Huh," Tsukishima said, sitting back and crossing his arms over his chest, watching them.

Kageyama was starting to regain some semblance of calm as well. As the emotions receded, Kuroo started to see signs of the dark-haired man's intelligence.

Silenced reigned for a little bit as they each studied one another, neither side willing to give in. Kuroo wondered who would break first.

To his surprise, it was his partner.

"We believe them too," Akaashi said. "Talked it over with them yesterday. Kozume - one of our other teammates - found some hints that the information on the report was incorrect. No definitive proof unfortunately. You don't have that, do you?"

Tsukishima and Kageyama exchanged glances.

"No," Kageyama said. "We have people working on it -"

"Confederation people?"

Tsukishima frowned. "No. You know better, Akaashi."

"Crows then," Akaashi said.

Crows. Things clicked into place in Kuroo's mind, and he looked at Tsukishima, eyebrow raised in question.

The blond sighed. "Karasuno. Also known as the crows to some. It's a - well. It's a group that Kageyama and I were associated with in our youth."

"Were? Akaashi asked.

Tsukishima shot him a dirty look. "Fine. Are. Informally." He sighed, then continued. "A lot of us have gone on to do other things, but we still keep in touch. Hang out occasionally."

Kuroo thought that over. "One of those places you hang out wouldn't happen to be a spot a few blocks that way, would it?" he asked, pointing vaguely in the direction of the address he and Kenma would be visiting that evening.

Both Tsukishima and Kageyama looked at him with something close to astonishment on their faces, though on Kageyama's it was much more obvious.

"Thought so," Kuroo said.

"How do you..." Kageyama said, trailing off at the end when Tsukishima looked at him.

Kuroo shrugged. "I know a guy,"

"Interesting." Tsukishima said. "Well, it appears we may be working with similar goals in mind, then."

"Just the crows?" Akaashi asked. "Or the Confederation as well?"

Tsukishima looked at him thoughtfully. "The Confederation's involvement is unofficial, for now. Of course, reports of corruption within the corporations that have secured managerial contracts are something we take very seriously, and our boss has a particular interest in the case."

"Ah," Akaashi said. "I almost forgot about that."

A soft chuckle escaped Tsukishima's mouth. "I think there are days when she would like to as well."

"Well," Akaashi said, "I think we're working on setting up secure communication with Karasuno, so that's probably our best avenue of communication at the moment. We'll be working to acquire hard evidence of what's gone on so that we can bring the real perpetrators to justice."

Tsukishima was nodding, but Kuroo was distracted by the intensity of the look Kageyama was giving him. He looked like he wanted to say something again. Kuroo wondered if he was mad for some reason.

They stared at each other a moment before Akaashi said, "It's ok to say thank you if you want to."

"I didn't," Kageyama said, away. The quick glance he gave Kuroo said otherwise, but he wasn't going to push it.

"Well," Kuroo said. "Unless there's anything else?"

"I don't think so," Tsukishima said, standing.

Kuroo followed suit, reaching over to shake the blond's hand. "Nice to meet you, Tsukishima."

"Likewise, I'm sure," Tsukishima said, tone dry. His hand was strong and slightly calloused. It was a nice hand.

Kuroo glanced at Akaashi and hoped that his face didn't betray his thoughts. It didn't help much. Neither did thoughts of going back to the ship, considering what Kenma had whispered to him earlier. And then, of course, there was Bokuto.

He was so screwed.

Ah well. It could be worse.

"Be seeing you around," Kuroo said, waving as he and Akaashi prepared to leave.

Hopefully a lot more of Tsukishima, at least.

He really needed to get back to the ship and take a shower.

Then he wondered, for a moment, if Akaashi had ever done it in an elevator.

~~~~~~~

Bokuto was happy. His thigh was still a dull ache, but the painkillers did wonders at taking the edge off. It had taken forever to get to his meeting, but it had gone about as well as could be expected, and now he was almost home free.

His wallet was a little light after a talk with Yukie, but he still had enough money that he'd ducked into one of the shopping districts to see if he could find something for Akaashi and their new partners. It was while perusing a selection of owl wood carvings at a stall that he'd caught sight of the blond.

If he wasn't mistaken, the man - tall and built, with blond hair and two black stripes on the sides - was one of the people associated with Oikawa and Seijou. Kenma's report had said that he was offplanet, but perhaps he'd come back.

Perhaps this was an opportunity to make contact. He knew Kenma and Kunimi were trying to figure out a way to let the rest of Seijou know that Oikawa and the others were ok.

Thinking this over he started trailing the man. He wasn't quite sure how to talk to the man without raising suspicion. He had the itchy feeling on the back of his neck that made him think he was being watched. After the things Yamiji had told him - one of which was that other people were looking for Oikawa and Seijou - Bokuto wouldn't be surprised if someone was watching him.

Watching both of them.

The blond looked back, and for a moment Bokuto held his breath. Then the man bought some meat on a stick from a stall and started eating it, tossing the stick away and ducking into a restroom.

There. He could talk to him in private there. He doubted anyone performing surveillance would already be in some random bathroom. Perfect.

Bokuto followed him inside and noticed the blond was standing at the sinks.

"Hey," Bokuto said, "Are you -"

He didn't finish the sentence. For a moment his mouth couldn't move, and he saw black try to come down over his his vision. He was on the ground. The back of his head hurt something fierce. He looked up and saw the blond and two men. Huh. He recognized them.

They were talking to each other. Probably saying important things. Bokuto was having trouble processing though, and the prospect of unconsciousness seemed strangely appealing.

The last thing that he thought before passing out was that at least he'd been successful in making contact.


	13. Seeking Allies

Kenma's clothes felt strange against his skin.

Kuroo and Akaashi had gone shopping after their meeting with the Confederation people. Confederation people and crows. That fact had been interesting to confirm. Oikawa had, predictably enough, been unrepentant when Akaashi confronted him about it.

Truly, after all Kenma had discovered this morning, it wasn't that much of a shock.

He stared at his reflection in the glass of the elevator. It was obscured by the city lights on the other side of the glass, but he could still see the outline of the shirts and pants he was wearing. The pants were some sort of stiff material that hugged him too tight and pressed against his skin when he shifted. The over shirt was big. Long-sleeved, thankfully, though the netting of the material made that fact a bit moot. It was black, with blue shot through it, and hung loose over the pants. The undershirt was tighter, also black. It covered his shoulders, though, and that was most of what he cared about.

They'd tried to make him wear some sort of belt, too - a big clunky thing - but he'd refused outright. Kuroo was wearing one like it, along with some flashy clothes in red and black. Kunimi was in all black. That made Kenma slightly jealous.

If he was in all black, he wouldn't stand out. That was his logic. Kuroo had argued that being in all black in the place they were going would be what made him stand out, and Kunimi had agreed. There was no malice in Kunimi's eyes, so Kenma was inclined to trust his judgement, but still.

He fidgeted with the bottom edge of the net shirt, tugging at it and pressing his fingertips against the weave. The holes were small and regular. Sixteen of them fit on his fingertip. He'd counted earlier.

He'd been bored.

Bokuto hadn't come back before they left.

Akaashi had tried to play it off that Bokuto was just taking time and running errands or had lost track of time, but Kenma could see he was at least a little bit worried. It made Kenma regret all over again having kept Akaashi from him the day before.

The elevator came to a stop, and Kenma turned, looking up at Kuroo. They looked at each other for a long moment, and Kenma moved closer to him, not caring for the moment what Kunimi thought. He'd been warned what to expect when the elevator doors opened.

It was still overwhelming.

Lights and sounds and smells and people.

He wrapped a fist in the material of the loose shirt Kuroo was wearing, feeling the metal threads woven into the silky material bite at his skin. Kuroo reached back and pulled him forward, arm wrapped around his shoulders. They followed Kunimi out into the cacophony, Kuroo shielding him from the chaos.

It was too much to take in.

"It's worse than this afternoon," Kuroo muttered.

Kenma nodded. There were lights moving everywhere, singing ads on the sides of building competing for attention, dancers weaving in and out of the crowd handing out papers with offers for everything from sex to hair products. A couple of girls tried to sidle up to them, their cooing voices grating on Kenma's nerves. Kuroo was good at brushing them off, though.

The overwhelming sense that Kenma got from the street was that of want. Greed. Hunger. All of the flash was empty, calculated by design to suck everything from the potential customers that passed. Kenma didn't like it.

The impression changed as they turned down a side street, though. There were still dancers and lights, but their attention wasn't fixed on strangers. Instead people were talking to each other. The lights were more artful, dancing around in patterns above the heads of the crowd. There wasn't as much competition. Things worked responsively, sometimes even in sync.

There were moments, as he looked up and watched, that Kenma thought he might even call the display beautiful.

One design in particular caught his eye, that of black crows that stood out against the hazy grey of the sky. They were lined with orange sparkles that trailed behind them as they flew, dipping and diving through the air. Kenma glanced at Kunimi in speculation, and the other man nodded.

"That's them," Kunimi said, leading them closer.

There was a long line wrapped around the side of the building. The entrance was guarded by a tall man with a ponytail who didn't look very pleased to be there. He didn't look very intimidating either, to Kenma's eye. As they got closer he could see a shorter man, one even shorter than Kenma, with brown hair and a blond streak in the front. He was moving around like lightning, talking to this person and that. When he spotted them he held up a hand.

"Kunimi!" he yelled, ignoring the grumbling of the people at the head of the line as he waved them in. "I was told you might be by."

"Noya," Kunimi said, nodding.

Kenma shrank against Kuroo as the man - Noya - studied them curiously. There were way too many people, and he didn't like the looks of the people who'd been waiting to get into the club. He hated standing out.

"These are my friends," Kunimi said after a moment, when Noya hadn't stopped staring.

"Huh? Oh yeah. We were told to expect them too. Welcome, welcome. He looks like a cat."

Kenma's brow furrowed as he realized the man meant him. What about him was so catlike he wasn't sure. He frowned up at Kuroo, annoyed at first by the amusement on his best friend's face. Then Kuroo squeezed his shoulder, eyes sparkling faintly in love and comfort. It helped.

Kenma sighed.

"I'm going to take them inside, ok Asahi?"

The tall man looked down at them doubtfully, but nodded. "Send out Tanaka if you're going to be gone long, ok?"

"Got it," Noya said, patting the taller man's arm before leading them inside.

Kenma expected more noise and chaos as they entered the club. In a way he was right - it was loud, and people were talking all over each other. Underlying all the noise, however, was a steady gentle beat. Simple melodies wove together above the beat, notes dropping in like stones in water. It made Kenma relax a bit, especially as they came into the main room.

There was art dancing in the air above the heads of the dancers.

Pinpoints of light, bright colors - pinks and blues and greens and yellows - all sparkles coming together to form shapes and waves. One moment it was like they were underwater in the ocean, the next like they were in some strange airy kingdom. Kenma was glad Kuroo had a hold of him, because he probably would've just stood and stared for a while.

There was a man atop a pillar that jutted out over the dance floor. He was dancing too in a way, hands outstretched in the air, fingers tapping. He had gloves on, and goggles. His clothes were bright and fluorescent, and a shock of bright red hair stood out wildly from his head. It didn't take Kenma long to realize that this was the person controlling the lights.

Beautiful.

Behind him, tucked away, was a man leaning over music tables. He had light brown hair that was falling into his face as he moved. The two of them were perfectly in sync, lights and music together. Teamwork.

So these were the crows.

"In here," Noya shouted, leading them through a door behind the bar.

The moment it was shut behind them most of the noise of the club was gone. Only the deep steady beat remained.

Noya flicked on a light, making Kenma blink as his eyes adjusted. They were in a long hallway, painted a pale tan.

"Sorry about all the noise," Noya said to Kunimi. "I know you don't like it."

Kunimi shrugged. "I like Yamaguchi's music," he said.

So Yamaguchi was the name of the musician. Kenma wanted to know the name of the artist.

"Hah, yeah, I remember," Noya said, leading them down the hall. "I'll make sure to have him send you his latest mixes. He forgets sometimes."

"Thank you."

Noya looked at him more closely then, frowning. "What'd you do to your arm?" he said, gesturing to the black sling Kunimi was wearing.

Kunimi glanced at Kuroo. "Long story."

"Huh. Ok."

He led them into a room lined with screens playing scenes from different areas of the club. There was a table in the middle of the room. Two people were sitting at it - a man with blond hair pushed back by a headband, and a man with wavy grey hair.

"Here they are," Noya said. "You need anything else? I sent Tanaka out to watch the door with Asahi, but I should probably get back out there."

"Sounds good," the blond said, nodding. He was the older of the two at the table, even though the other man had grey hair. "Good to see you, Kunimi," he continued, nodding at the dark-haired man before turning his attention to Kuroo and Kenma. "I'm Ukai," he said.

"Kuroo, Nice to meet you," Kuroo said, squeezing Kenma's shoulder.

"I'm Kozume," Kenma said, ducking his head in greeting.

"Kuroo and Kozume," the grey-haired man said, gaze focused on Kenma. "Well then. It's not often we get to entertain guests from the Fukurodani corporation. Nice to meet you all. I'm Sugawara."

Sugawara Koushi? Yes, Kenma decided. He looked at the man across the table, more interested suddenly. He looked kind and relaxed, but Kenma recalled the quality of his attacks earlier in the day. Sugawara, he thought, was probably just like his hub - steel fist in a beautiful velvet glove.

He looked forward to finding out if he was right.

~~~~~~~~

Akaashi was quietly trying not to freak out.

He was in the lounge watching two of their guests. That wasn't the problem - they were fine. Kindaichi had gone to bed earlier, and Oikawa looked like he was nodding off in his seat. Iwaizumi was messing around on his phone. They were fine.

No, the problem was that Bokuto still wasn't home.

Akaashi had called the office to make sure that he still wasn't in a meeting. Yukie told him that Bokuto had left hours ago, and had thanked him for encouraging Bokuto to pay her back some of the money he owed her. He wasn't answering his phone. That wasn't an immediate cause for concern; sometimes he turned it off when he went into meetings and forgot to turn it back on.

Things were probably fine. He'd probably just been distracted by something. Maybe he was putting together some elaborate surprise. Akaashi wouldn't put it past him. Bokuto could be incredibly thoughtful at times. Akaashi knew he was very fond of their new teammates. It was possible he'd decided to try and find something special for them. Maybe he'd run into one of their old friends and been roped into dinner. Maybe, maybe, maybe.

Akaashi fretted, and turned around to see Iwaizumi walking up to him.

"Can I help you?" Akaashi said.

Iwaizumi shrugged. "You looked concerned, I wanted to make sure everything was alright."

The phrase 'everything's fine' was on the tip of Akaashi's tongue, but at the last moment he decided against it. It was irritating enough that he was worried enough that their guest had noticed, he didn't want to lie on top of it. Well, he wanted to, but it probably wasn't a good idea.

"It's just Bokuto," Akaashi said. "He's probably fine."

"Ah," Iwaizumi said. A look crossed his face that Akaashi couldn't quite decipher. It didn't help that his features were still swollen and bruised from the beating Kozume had given him, of course. Iwaizumi gestured at a chair close to Akaashi. "Mind if I sit down? I was trying to use my phone, but the communication circuits seem to be fried."

Hesitating a moment, Akaashi nodded. It was better than having the man hovering over him, at least. "You could always take Oikawa-san to bed," he said, wondering if the slight coloring to Iwaizumi's face was just a trick of the light.

"Ah, no. He wants to stay up until Kunimi is back safe and sound. He's still mad at himself for leaving him behind back at the building."

Akaashi nodded. "He's surprisingly reliable."

Iwaizumi laughed. "Surprisingly, eh? Well, I suppose that's true." The man glanced over at the sleeping Oikawa with some amount of fondness in his gaze.

Nodding, Akaashi turned back to check and see if he could find Bokuto again, and Iwaizumi went back to messing with his phone. Silence descended between them.

It was Iwaizumi who broke it. "Sorry for attacking you," he said. "I hope you aren't hurt too badly. I wasn't going to shoot you, by the way, just -"

"Knock me out?" Akaashi said. "I know. I saw how you were holding the gun."

"Yeah."

In truth Akaashi was a bit bruised up, but they were all places no one but Bokuto had seen. He'd been upset the night before that he couldn't kiss them all better, but Akaashi had made him lie back in bed without moving too much. Both of them had been too sore and exhausted to do anything other than curl close to each other, fingers over skin to remind each other that they were present and alive.

"It's fine," Akaashi said. "I'm just glad Kozume was able to find the information he did on your phone."

"Yeah," Iwaizumi said, frowning down at the device in his hands. "I wonder how he did that. Kunimi promised me that it had high level security. He'd even doubled down on it that day."

Akaashi shrugged. He wondered that himself. Remembering how Kozume's eyes had glowed as he held the phone, he wondered if it had something to do with the nanites.

Even the thought of sharing that information caused his tongue to go heavy in his mouth, and he frowned. Maybe he could ask Kenma? Ah. that thought didn't seem to be a problem. He was suddenly very aware that there were little machines in his body that seemed to be aware of his thoughts. They also seemed to have some sort of control over his bodily function. It was a disturbing thought.

Then again, they'd always been there, and hadn't caused him any harm yet. Probably the opposite.

Filing the thought away to talk over with one of the other Alephians later, he looked over at Iwaizumi. "It's probably good for right now. Any outbound signal could be traced back to here."

"True," Iwaizumi said, giving up and sticking his phone in his pocket. "How are our other friends doing?"

Switching his screen over to the away team, Akaashi checked the data. "They seem fine. Vitals are holding steady. Kozume's heart rate was a bit elevated earlier, but Kuroo and Kunimi's were fine so I doubt it was a problem."

Probably just anxiety, but Akaashi wasn't going to share that with the man. He was grateful that Kuroo had seen fit to tell him about it while they were shopping.

"That's good. Heh. Yeah, Kunimi is pretty stable most of the time."

Akaashi nodded. "They're in the club now, have been for a while. They haven't contacted me, but - hmm. That's strange."

"What?"

Akaashi pressed down, enlarging the display of Kunimi's vital signs. "Your friend. His heart rate just started increasing. Breathing is staying the same though."

Iwaizumi frowned. "That is strange," he murmured, fingertips tapping on the table next to the display. "I wonder - he was going to try and contact our other friends when he was there..."

"Yes," Akaashi said, giving him a sharp look. "What are you thinking?"

Glancing back at Oikawa a moment Iwaizumi said, "Ah, it's probably nothing." He was fidgeting again though, and the look he gave Akaashi was guarded. "Lets just see what he tells us, alright?"

Akaashi gave him a long look, then nodded slowly, sending a quick message to Kuroo. All of a sudden, he didn't feel quite so comfortable in Iwaizumi's company as he had before. He was starting to have suspicions about what might have happened to his Bokuto. 

Still, the man was probably right. The city was a big place, after all, and was probably nothing. 

He would feel a lot better about that nothing if Bokuto was by his side, however.

Hopefully he'd be home soon.


	14. The Lost Bird

The meeting was going well. Kuroo sat back, taking a break for a moment as Ukai checked in with a man who'd just come in. Daichi, Kuroo thought name was. They hadn't been introduced yet, he'd just come in a few minutes earlier and . He had dark hair and was dressed in a leather jacket and pants, looking more like he'd come from the outside than from dancing in the club.

Kenma was off to the side sitting with Sugawara, watching with rapt attention as he showed him something on a screen. Kuroo had been surprised to find out that the grey-haired man was a game designer. It was fascinating to see Kenma with such wide eyes. He almost looked like a kid again. So cute.

Kunimi had finally gained access to a terminal. He was trying to contact his friends, let them know what was going on. Kuroo felt a little concerned about that. He almost wished that Kenma was keeping an eye on him instead of letting himself be drawn into conversation with Sugawara. It was hard to want to say anything though, not with that look on Kenma's face.

Besides, Kunimi seemed like a pretty straightforward guy.

A message from Akaashi broke his train of thought.

/Is Kunimi alright? His heart rate just increased./

Kuroo looked over. Kunimi didn't seem any different. Then again, he seemed pretty stoic in general. It was similar to how Kenma was at his screen, except that Kuroo knew how to read Kenma's slightest movement. Kunimi didn't give away a thing.

/Not sure. He's trying to get in touch with his friends on a terminal/ Kuroo texted back.

/Bokuto isn't back yet/ Akaashi sent.

A knot of worry formed in Kuroo's chest. He wanted to get up right now and go over and ask Kunimi what was going on, but that would probably be counterproductive. He tried for a moment to catch Kenma's eye, but was interrupted by Ukai turning his way.

"Kuroo, this is Daichi. He'll be helping you guys. If you don't mind, I'd like for him to go back with you to be our eyes and ears in the middle of this. He's a good man," Ukai said. "I've got to go take care of some business, but I look forward to working with you."

Standing Kuroo nodded at Ukai as he left. He reached out to take the hand Daichi offered, turning his attention to the man and sizing him up. Daichi's grasp was strong, and his eyes met Kuroo's with unwavering confidence. Kuroo knew he was being appraised as well. He smirked, watching an answering grin fall onto Daichi's face.

So he was that type.

Daichi glanced over at Kenma and Sugawara. "I see your partner likes games?" he said.

"Kozume," Kuroo replied. "Yeah, he likes most things to do with technology. He's always liked games, though."

Daichi nodded, the look in his eyes as he glanced at Sugawara fond. "It's not every day Suga gets to come face to face with a fan," he said.

Kuroo nodded, smile crossing his lips. He was fairly certain Kenma would have something to say about that. Something about how he met game designers and hackers all the time and being face to face didn't make any real difference. But they'd had that conversation before. It was one of those arguments Kuroo knew to steer clear of, because it didn't really matter.

Daichi looked back at him. "So this shipment -"

Kunimi pushed back from his terminal and stood, looking at Kuroo. "I need to make a call," he said, brow slightly furrowed.

"What's wrong?" Kuroo asked.

"Nothing's wrong," Kunimi said, looking away for a second. 

He was lying. Kuroo could see that. Kenma had looked up from his screen and was frowning, glancing at the terminal Kunimi had just left. The scowl on his face let Kuroo know that the screen was locked.

"It's fine," Kunimi said, raising his good hand. "It's just - idiots," he muttered, looking back at the screen. Sighing, he turned back to Kuroo. "Hanamaki and Matsukawa - they didn't know what happened, obviously. But they knew who was after us, and recognized Bokuto as he was walking down the street."

Kuroo stilled. "Go on," he said.

"Bokuto was chasing after Mad Dog - ah, sorry, Kyoutani -"

"Chasing?"

"Well, following," Kunimi said, frowning thoughtfully. "Probably. Anyways. They ended up grabbing him."

Kunimi's looked up at Kuroo then, gaze steady. For a moment Kuroo could hear the blood rushing into his ears. He wanted to fight. He should've gone with him, damnit. Nevermind that he'd needed to go with Akaashi to the meeting with Tsukishima. Bokuto had been injured. Was up and walking around alright, but still.

Bokuto was his partner.

It wasn't Kunimi's fault.

There was no fear in the other man's eyes as he gazed at him, which spoke volumes about the man's character, especially seeing as how he was wearing a sling for a broken collarbone Kuroo had given him. That helped pour ice water on the rage in Kuroo's heart. He glanced over at Kenma and saw red in his eyes, probably a reflection of the color in Kuroo's own.

"Is he -" Kuroo started.

"He's alright," Kunimi said. "They hit him over the head, and have him - well. They're holding him. He hasn't woken up yet, but Matsu said he was alright."

Kuroo narrowed his eyes. "He's a doctor?"

Kunimi glanced at Kenma, as if trying to find support from that direction. It wasn't forthcoming. Kuroo could feel the weight of the crow's gazes on him. He glanced over and saw Daichi thumbing something at his waist, and looked up to meet the man's eyes.

He was being measured again, judged for how he handled the situation. It was annoying, but fair. He had no intention of hurting Kunimi, but from the way Daichi was looking at him, his body language said otherwise. Taking a deep breath he turned back to Kunimi. "You said you needed to call them."

Kunimi nodded, concern melting into his normal stoicism. "I need to talk to them on the phone. Kyoutani wants to actually hear me for himself. He's suspicious that someone is trying to pose as me, or force me to lie."

"We have a phone you can use," Ukai said.

"In private," Kunimi said, lifting his chin, defiance sparking in his eyes as he looked at Kuroo.

Kuroo gazed back a long moment, then nodded. "Fine," he said. "Just figure out how they'll get him back to us. I for one will be pleased when all these misunderstandings get cleared up so that these things don't keep happening."

The look on Kunimi's face was rueful. "Me too."

Watching as Daichi led Kunimi out to make the call, Kuroo walked over to Kenma. "Can you figure out what he was doing?" Kuroo asked.

Kenma nodded, starting to reach over towards the terminal when a pale hand was laid on his arm.

"Ah," Sugawara said, lifting his hand up as Kenma looked at him in shock. "Sorry. Didn't think that would bother you. But I really don't think that will be necessary."

All of a sudden Kuroo was reminded that they were alone down here, surrounded by crows and other strangers. Kenma frowned, rubbing the place on his arm where Sugawara had touched. They weren't enemies, but it looked like they were serious about playing the role of neutral third party in all this.

Kenma glanced up at him. As far as tough spots went, this wasn't a bad one. They'd been in worse.

Still, the waiting game was never fun.

Squeezing Kenma's shoulder Kuroo glanced at the door again, hoping the phone call didn't take too long. Soon, he hoped, Bokuto would be able to come home.

~~~~~~~~~

Bokuto's head hurt like a bitch. That was the first thing he noticed.

He shook his head, eyes groggy, and tried moving his hands down to rub at them. That was when he noticed the second thing - his wrists were handcuffed together around a pipe above his head, and he was propped up against a cold cement floor. He looked up and saw a metal sink. The pipe he was shackled to was the drainpipe of the sink. A drop of water ran down the side of the pipe and fell, hitting his nose.

Well that was uncomfortable.

Even more uncomfortable was his leg, which was starting to throb the more he woke up. He wondered how long it had been since he'd had his pain medicine. He could really use it right about now.

Frowning he looked around, noticing the man seated in a chair a few feet away. He was staring at him, unblinking, all blond hair and eyeliner and anger. Raising an eyebrow Bokuto almost swore he heard the other man growl.

"Right, yeah, he's here," said a voice in the next room. Bokuto looked up and saw a man walk in through the door carrying a phone. He had close-cropped light brown hair. Hanamaki. The name came to Bokuto suddenly, one of the two men of Oikawa's who'd run off earlier before they had the chance to capture them.

Oh yeah. And the blond with the two black stripes on either side of his head was some guy named Kyoutani. He remembered what had happened earlier when he'd followed the blond into the restroom. This was definitely not how things were supposed to go down. Frowning he wondered what Akaashi must be thinking. He was probably worried; Kuroo and Kenma too. Maybe he hadn't been gone too long.

Kyoutani turned, baring his teeth at Hanamaki.

"It's him," Hanamaki said. "Kunimi."

"I want to speak to Oikawa," Kyoutani growled.

"Well, you don't get to right now, Oikawa isn't there. But you know Kunimi. He wouldn't sell Oikawa out. He owes him his life."

Kyoutani growled and snatched the phone from Hanamaki's hand. "What the hell is going on," he barked into it.

Frowning he glanced over at Bokuto, scowl deepening.

"That makes no sense," he finally said. "Why would he -"

The person on the other end of the line evidently cut him off, because he listened a while more then said, "How do I know they aren't forcing you to tell me this?"

Bokuto could hear the volume of Kunimi's voice even from where he was sitting. It surprised him. Kunimi seemed like such a laid-back guy. Whatever he was saying to Kyoutani seemed to make an impact though, because the man's countenance fell with every word. He was sullen as he looked over at Bokuto, face twisting up like he'd wished he'd never received the phone call.

"Fine," he said. "I said fine. I'll do it. This is crap though, they should've just let you -"

Another lengthy exposition from Kunimi followed that, though this one just made Kyoutani lean back in the chair, huffing with impatience as he waited for it to end. "Ok, ok, I get it."

Sighing, he handed the phone back to Hanamaki, then stood and walked over to Bokuto, staring down at him a long moment.

Bokuto became acutely aware of how tall the other man was, and how close he was to Bokuto's injured thigh. Craning his head he looked up, watching the man's scowl deepen before he leaned over and roughly unlocked Bokuto's handcuffs.

Wincing Bokuto let himself be pulled to stand upright. "Thanks," he said, looking the other man over.

"Yeah, well," Kyoutani said, "Kunimi said you listened to Oikawa's side of the story, and were willing to work with us. He also said he shot you."

"Yep," Bokuto said, watching as the man looked down at his injured thigh. Bokuto looked down as well, hoping that it wasn't bleeding. It was hurting more in this new position, enough that he had to lean back against the sink.

"If I'd've been taking the shot," Kyoutani said, turning to walk out of the room, "You'd be dead."

Bokuto narrowed his eyes at the man's back. That wasn't very nice.

Sighing he looked down at his leg again, feeling the cool dampness in the seat of his pants. There were other sinks along the wall, and showers in the open space at the far end of the room. It didn't smell like a restroom that was used often. Instead it smelled musty from disuse. The ceiling was high and slanted.

Maybe a warehouse.

He pushed himself up off the sink and limped into the other room, rubbing the places on his wrists where the handcuffs had cut into him.

"Hey," he said, looking around. The room was big, with windows high up in a metal wall on the opposite side. Warehouse then, yeah. Kyoutani was pacing along the far side of the room talking on the phone. Hanamaki and another man - Matsukawa, if Bokuto remembered right - were sitting at a table near the center of the room. Bokuto walked over to them and took a seat.

Hanamaki looked up. "Sorry about all this," he said. "Misunderstanding and all."

Bokuto nodded. "It happens," he said. It never had, not to him, but there had been a lot of misunderstandings the past couple of days. "Did Kumini tell my people what's going on?"

Matsukawa looked up and nodded. "He was with a couple of them when he called. We're still trying to figure out how to get everything together."

"Would you like something to drink?" Hanamaki asked, standing.

"That would be great," Bokuto said. "And do you have my things?"

"Sure, I'll get them."

Nodding thanks, Bokuto looked over at Matsukawa. The man shrugged. Weird situation.

Weird yes, but -

Perhaps it could work to their advantage.

Yamiji had suggested that they split up the team, with one pair staying with the ship and the other pair going to track down the shipment. Bokuto didn't like the idea, but it made sense. He wanted to talk it over with everyone though. But maybe they could use his kidnapping to their advantage.

Maybe someone else could get taken, too. It wouldn't reflect too well on the competence of his team, but it might be enough to fool some of the people looking for them.

Hanamaki came back with a glass of water and his bag. Thanking the man he searched in the pockets of his bag for painkillers, gratefully swallowing them down.

"Kunimi's supposed to call us back in a few minutes with more information," Hanamaki said, "after he talks to your friends."

Bokuto nodded.

It was cold. He hurt, and he missed his team. If things went the way he was thinking, he'd be without two of them for at least a few days while they worked everything out. He trusted that with the team they had now they could pull it off - but that didn't mean he had to like the idea.

Glancing up at the two other men at the table, he saw they looked about as enthusiastic as he felt. He could feel the edges of a dark mood tugging at him, critical thoughts pointing out how stupid he'd been to get kidnapped in the first place. He swallowed, trying to fight them down.

He missed his team. He missed Akaashi.

He hoped that Kunimi would call back soon.


	15. Rude Awakenings and Night Drives

Oikawa hated rude awakenings, and this most definitely counted as one of those.

Iwaizumi was shaking his shoulder. Oikawa wanted to protest - he'd been having such a nice dream - but the look on his best friend's face stopped him cold.

"What is it? Did something happen to Kunimi?" he asked, fear curling around his heart.

"No," Iwaizumi said, glancing behind them. "I just thought you should be awake for this."

"Awake for what?"

Still groggy from sleep Oikawa sat up, watching as Akaashi paced the floor. He was talking on the phone, face drawn into a frown. Oikawa looked up at Iwaizumi again, tugging him down to sit next to him. "What's going on?"

"Well for one," Iwaizumi said, watching Akaashi carefully, "Kyoutani is back in town."

"He finished up his work that quickly? That's good, it'll be - wait. That's not good?"

"Not exactly."

"What, Iwa-chan? What aren't you telling me?"

Oikawa was getting more nervous by the second.

Iwaizumi sighed and turned to look at him. "He met up with Hanamaki and Matsukawa, evidently. The three of them didn't know we were alright -"

"Yeah, that's why Kunimi was going to contact them - wait," Oikawa said, narrowing his eyes. "Did they do something?"

"You could say that."

"What did they do?"

"They kidnapped Bokuto."

"What?!"

Akaashi looked over at them and made a face, then waved his hand and continued talking.

"Shit," Oikawa said. "That's not good. Did they hurt him? Are they mad? Is Kunimi ok? Are they gonna - ow!" He rubbed his forehead where Iwaizumi had flicked him.

"You're talking too fast, shittykawa. As far as I know, he's fine. They're all fine. Kunimi got in touch with them and straightened things out, it's just complicated things. Now shush and listen."

Grumbling under his breath Oikawa sat up, watching Akaashi.

The pilot saw them and frowned a moment, then moved closer so they could hear what he was saying.

"I don't like - yes. Well, true, that would be more conspicuous. Are you sure we can -"

Akaashi looked at Oikawa, grey-green eyes narrowed in concern. He didn't exactly look angry though. Just frustrated, and he gave a nod in response to some unspoken question Oikawa didn't even realize he'd been asking.

It would be ok, maybe. Kunimi was ok. This wasn't ideal, but Akaashi didn't blame him, blame them. It wasn't all going to fall apart.

Hopefully.

"I still don't like it," Akaashi said into the phone, glancing down. "Yes, we can do that. Ah yes. That is a priority."

His face softened at that, fingertips picking at some imaginary speck of dust on the hem of his shirt. Oikawa glanced at Iwaizumi, having some idea of what type of priority would make a man's voice go gentle like that.

"Alright. We'll meet you there, then. I'm sure they do," Akaashi said, hanging up.

"Sure we what?" Oikawa said.

Akaashi made a face. "Eavesdropping is -"

"Exactly what you intended for us to do," Iwaizumi said.

Staring at him a moment Akaashi nodded. "I suppose I did. Come here, it'll be easier to explain if I can show you."

Getting up they followed him over to the screen.

"As Iwaizumi has no doubt told you, Bokuto was abducted by three of your friends this afternoon. Fortunately for all concerned, no one was hurt."

The gravity in Akaashi's voice made Oikawa very very glad that nothing had gone wrong. A part of him wanted to point out that if they'd let Kunimi make a call earlier, none of this would have happened. Probably wouldn't be the wisest move on his part, however, and despite what Iwa-chan said on a regular basis he was capable of tact.

"So where are they?" Iwaizumi asked.

"According to Bokuto - yes, I got to speak to him briefly - they're at some sort of a warehouse. Kunimi said that you would know where it was?" Akaashi replied, pulling up a map of the city.

Oikawa nodded. "Yeah. It's over here," he said, pointing it out on the map. "A ways away from where we are now. Are we going over there, or are they bringing him to us?"

"Well, for some reason, Bokuto thinks it would be best if we went to them there. Something about a plan. He wouldn't elaborate."

"I see," Oikawa said. "So what, are we waiting for Kunimi and the others to get back and then -"

"No. They're going to take the surface roads. Evidently we're supposed to have some other guests from Karasuno joining us, and Kuroo thought it would be less problematic if we all met up at the warehouse. Bokuto is concerned that there are other groups that may have us under surveillance. Kozume's pretty sure he's thwarted them by now, but a big group of people coming to the ship in the middle of the city is bound to be noticed."

"So we're leaving them here."

"Looks like it," Akaashi said.

Oikawa looked over at him. He'd only just met the man, but he didn't seem like the type of guy to be easily flustered. It wasn't that he was flustered now, exactly either. The stress of the situation was evident in the stiffness of his shoulders, though. When Akaashi looked up at him, another thought occurred to Oikawa.

Akaashi was alone. There were three Seijou on the ship and only one of him. Bokuto was outnumbered as well, had recently been captured. True, Kuroo and Kozume were with Kunimi, but Oikawa was confident the crows wouldn't let them hurt him. If Oikawa wanted to at this moment, he could probably turn the tables on these four. Maybe even steal their ship.

The look that Akaashi was giving him was a guarded measure of trust that he wouldn't do that - that Oikawa and Seijou were who they said they were, and wouldn't take advantage of this situation.

He gave Akaashi a slow nod, watching as his reassurance was communicated without words. Then he grinned widely. "Alright! Sounds like an adventure. Let's go have our secret rendezvous."

~~~~~~

The garage where Kenma was waiting was dark, lit only by the screen of his handheld. Kenma didn't mind the dark, especially when it was also quiet. He could hear the faint pulse of the club and the muted chatter of people talking beyond the garage doors, but other than that things were still.

He liked still.

He needed still, right now.

The quiet and the dark helped him focus. He couldn't do anything about Bokuto's situation. He had a lingering sense of guilt about it, since he was the one who'd made the call that Kunimi shouldn't try contacting anyone from the ship, but that guilt would serve no purpose. If he had to, he'd make the same call again given the same set of circumstances. He couldn't change the past.

What he could do was help fix the future, and for that he needed to focus.

The power of his handheld was small compared to the screens on the ship, but he could still use it. His bots were sniffing out anyone nosing around about the warehouse where Bokuto was being held. He was redirecting the surveillance in that area so that when Akaashi did land the ship nearby it hopefully wouldn't rouse any suspicion. Bokuto's news that there were other groups monitoring the situation wasn't really much of a surprise. Kenma had already put frameworks in place to keep an eye out. Still, as much as he trusted his own skill, this was still new territory.

New territory meant new unknowns.

He glanced up at the door, wondering when Kuroo and Kunimi would be ready to go.

The garage smelled like motor oil.

There were bikes along the far wall. Kenma was familiar with motorbikes, though he wasn't really partial to riding them himself. They would have to here shortly, he knew. Fortunately, from what he'd gathered, he wouldn't be driving.

Unfortunately, he'd probably be riding behind a stranger.

At least they'd be wearing protective gear.

The door to the garage opened suddenly and the light came on.

Kenma blinked, looking over at the man who'd just walked in.

"Who are you!" the man said, pointing at him.

Kenma blinked again. "Um," he said, curling back against the wall where he was sitting.

The man had huge eyes, Kenma wasn't sure what color. He had shocking mass of wild red hair. He was also coming closer.

"Sorry! This area of the club is off limits to customers," the man was saying. He didn't look sorry. He was also very short. Shorter than Kenma even. The man stopped a few feet away, hands raised like he wasn't quite sure what to do with them. "I mean, you should probably, uh, I might have to ask you to... what are you doing?"

Kenma looked down at his handheld, then off to the side at the door, halfway hoping that Kuroo would come in and take care of this. "Um," he said again, pulling back when the man crouched down next to him and took a look at his screen.

"That looks really cool is that a game?"

"Ah, no?" Kenma said, staring at the man. He was close, just on the edge of being too close for comfort. "Um, I have some games."

"Cool! I have a friend who makes games. Games are awesome, you can go woosh and zoom and bang. I help him sometimes with the visuals," the man said, looking up at Kenma. His eyes were brown. "I'm Hinata Shouyou, by the way."

"Shouyou," Kenma repeated softly, feeling pieces come together in his head. The red hair. Ah, this must be the one who was doing the light displays in the club. He thought he was taller. "Ah, um. Kozume. Kozume Kenma."

"Kenma, huh?" Shouyou said, smiling one of the most brilliant smiles Kenma had ever laid eyes on. "Nice to meet you! Oh, but - ah, you still probably aren't supposed to be back here, sorry."

"No, it's ok," Kenma said, still not sure if Shouyou was too close or not. "I'm just waiting here."

"Waiting? Oh - wait - are you one of those people?" Shouyou asked, rocking back on his feet. "Ah! Why didn't you say so!"

Kenma shrugged, watching Shouyou's face. It was actually a bit fascinating.

"I'm supposed to join everyone here in a few minutes," Shouyou said. "I'm going with you! Off on a big adventure, right?"

"I guess so."

The door opened again.

"Kenma!" Kuroo called out.

"Nice to meet you Shouyou," Kenma said, sliding around the man and hurrying over to Kuroo's side. Kuroo looked down at him and he shrugged, feeling Kuroo squeeze his shoulder as the other people filed into the room. Kenma recognized Daichi and Kunimi, but the third man he hadn't ever seen at all. Whoever it was, he didn't exactly look happy.

"Ok," Daichi said, "So the plan is to take three bikes. Kuroo, you'll be riding with me. Kenma will be riding with Hinata. Kunimi is going to lead us, but Kageyama will be driving because of his injury. Kunimi's mapped out a route that should allow us to evade most of the surveillance - right?"

Kunimi glanced at Kenma and he nodded back. That was one of the project they'd been working on while waiting for everyone to get ready.

"Alright then," Daichi continued. "Any questions?"

Kuroo looked down at Kenma. He had to admit, he wasn't altogether thrilled about being pressed close to a stranger, but he understood the logic. The crows knew the streets better than they did. At least Hinata seemed alright. He shook his head.

"Ok then. Suit up. We'll want all black and helmets. Hopefully they'll think you guys are just more crows. Always have trouble keeping track of us anyways."

Kenma nodded, following the others over to the lockers and trying to find gear that would fit his frame.

"This is exciting, isn't it Kenma?" Shouyou whispered. "Even if Bakayama has to come along."

Kenma nodded a bit, listening as the redhead continued to ramble. The words didn't prick at him like babble so often did, though. Instead it just rolled over him like water. Perhaps it was because Shouyou didn't seem to expect much in the way of a reply.

He glanced over at the others. The one they'd called Kageyama seemed stiff, face stuck in a perpetual scowl. Kunimi looked even more withdrawn than usual. There was a stiffness in the way the two were glancing at each other that made Kenma wonder about their past history.

At least Kuroo and Daichi seemed to be getting along.

All too soon they were on the bikes and ready to go, heading out into the night.

Shouyou was small, but his movements were steady and sure as he drove. Kenma was thankful for this as he held tight to the other man. They were in the middle, following Kunimi and Kageyama with Kuroo and Daichi behind. The helmet blocked out enough of the light and sound that Kenma felt cocooned from the world. He was thankful.

"I'm going to put on some music, ok Kenma?" Shouyou said over their shared link.

Kenma nodded, then realized Shouyou probably couldn't see it over his shoulder. "Yes."

"Awesome."

He expected something loud and flashy, something to suit the man's explosive personality. Instead he found himself listening to music a lot like the songs played in the club. It had a faster underbeat, but Kenma found he didn't mind. It matched the way they were riding - past heavily lighted thoroughfares and into darker alleys, down out into spaces where the buildings dipped down so that they could cross a bridge and watch the moons reflected on the waters. He expected Shouyou to talk more, but all the man did was hum along with the music.

It was almost peaceful.

"We're probably about fifteen minutes out," Shouyou said after they crossed the bridge. "You alright back there?"

"I'm fine," Kenma murmured, shifting to get a bit more comfortable. He was fine. The music was beautiful. This area of the town seemed deserted at night, and the only illumination other than their headlamps were random shafts of moonlight. He wasn't stuck in waiting any longer. Soon he'd be back together with the rest of his team.

"I'm glad," Shouyou said.

Kenma was too.


	16. Holding on

Bokuto was safe. That was the important thing.

Bokuto was safe, and all Akaashi wanted was to run over and hug him. He could tell from the look on his lover's face that Bokuto was having a bad spell. He looked so utterly disheartened and ashamed of himself. Akaashi wanted to shield him from the world. He didn't want anyone to see his Bokuto looking like that. His Bokuto was strong, and smart, and successful, and not anything like the failure he was probably calling himself in his head.

Akaashi supposed he'd have to add getting kidnapped to Bokuto's list of weaknesses. Hopefully it wasn't a weakness they'd ever have to run into again.

He looked around at the warehouse, assessing the situation as best he could as he walked in. There were three other men sitting at the table. One - a blond he remembered being named Kyoutani - got up and came over to the two other Seijou members as they came in with Akaashi.

"Ah, nice to see you -" OIkawa said, holding up a hand and then frowning as Kyoutani went directly to Iwaikawa.

"Are you alright?" Kyoutani said. "Who did this to you? Can I fight them for you?"

"What?" Iwaizumi said, reaching up to touch his face like he'd forgotten it was injured. "Ah, no. I'm fine."

"How big was the other guy? Did you get him?"

Oikawa started snickering, ignoring the dirty look Iwaizumi sent him until the man hit him on the back of the head.

"I said I'm fine. let's get down to business."

Finally, finally they were close enough. As Bokuto stood, Akaashi could tell he was favoring his left leg. Bastards. Akaashi reached out and took his hand, murmuring, "I thought they didn't hurt you?"

"They didn't."

Akaashi couldn't help glaring at the other men at the table anyways. One - Matsukawa, Akaashi thought - looked vaguely ashamed but the other just looked bored as he chatted with Oikawa. It bothered him so much but he couldn't let it show. These men had probably done what he would've done in their place, after all.

That was what the rational side of his brain was saying.

The rest of him didn't want to be rational at all, not with Bokuto looking at him like that. He wanted to just take him back to the ship and hide him away until he was back to his usual chipper self. That probably wasn't the wisest option, however.

Screw it. Wisdom be damned.

"We should probably move this conversation back to the ship," Akaashi said, looking over at Oikawa. "It's a more secure location, if some of the other people looking for us by some chance managed to get through the measures that Kozume and Kunimi took."

Oikawa looked around at his people and shrugged. "Yeah, " he said. "Your conference table is a little nicer than ours, too."

Nodding, Akaashi sent a quick message to Kozume and Kuroo before helping Bokuto walk towards the door, glaring at Kyoutani when he dared stand in their way.

"I can't believe they did this to you," he muttered under his breath.

Bokuto gave a weak little laugh. "It wasn't so bad, 'kaashi. I mean, not like they tortured me for information or anything."

"They probably would've, if we hadn't been able to reach them."

"That would'a been a bitch, wouldn't it?"

"Yes," Akaashi said. He didn't even like thinking about it. It'd happened before once on a job. That job had turned out very messy in the end.

"I should stop letting myself get kidnapped," Bokuto said softly, dejection written all over his voice.

"It's only the second time," Akaashi said. "At least this time it wasn't because some floozy slipped something in your drink.

"I keep telling you she wasn't a floozy. She just... seemed like a nice girl at the time."

Akaashi sighed. He'd happily string that nice girl up by her toenails if he ever ran into her again. She was one of the ones involved in that plot that he hadn't caught. Probably just another kid trying to make a buck so they could put food in their bellies.

The underside of the city wasn't a good place for anybody to grow up.

"Hey, 'kaashi," Bokuto said as they neared the ship, "Will you fix me dinner when we get back? I'm starving."

"They didn't feed you?"

"I don't think they had food themselves," Bokuto said, glancing back. "These guys don't seem to be very well off."

"Explains why they were hiding in a dusty abandoned warehouse."

It reminded him again of what had led Oikawa and his friends into this predicament. As angry as he was at them for kidnapping Bokuto, his real anger was at the ones who'd caused the whole problem to begin with.

Bokuto was safe now, after all. Bokuto was cold, and tired, and hungry, but he was safe. "I'm fine, Akaashi," Bokuto said. "Stop worrying."

He would worry though. Couldn't help it.

The bikes got to the ship about the same time they did.

"Hey," Akaashi said, waving as Kuroo got down off the back of the first bike and took off his helmet. "There's room in the deck for those if you want."

The the man on the front of the bike got off and nodded, making a motion to the people behind him. Kenma was off the second bike in a flash, watching Akaashi and Bokuto intently. He came over and gave Bokuto's hand a quick squeeze before going on inside. Just the presence of his two other teammates calmed something in Akaashi's soul.

They cared. They really honestly cared. It seemed crazy after only a couple of days, but he had this feeling in his chest like if the four of them were together there wasn't anything they couldn't overcome - even corruption reaching deep into the heart of their employing corporation.

Kuroo gave Bokuto a long measured look before saying, "You two go on and get inside, do what you need to take care of him. I'll make sure everything is secure."

Nodding gratefully Akaashi followed Kenma inside with Bokuto, sparing their new companions only a quick glance. Kageyama he knew and trusted, to an extent. He assumed the other two were crows. Oikawa had already earned a measure of his trust, so he didn't fret too much at letting them go to the conference room unattended - Kenma was probably monitoring everything on the computers, after all.

"We'll be with you in a few moments," he said.

"I don't need much, Akaashi," Bokuto protested as they headed to the medbay. "Ok, well maybe some painkillers -"

"If you don't shut up I'm going to lock you in here myself," Akaashi said, pushing him into the room and back onto one of the beds. "What the hell were you thinking? How in the world?"

Bokuto had the grace to look sheepish. "Well, I saw that Kyoutani guy, and recognized him, and thought it would be a good way to make contact. You know, let them know that Oikawa and the others were alright."

"Of all the," Akaashi said, grumbling and being none-too-gentle as he started to pull Bokuto's pants off. "You were alone. And injured."

"It's not so bad, Akaashi -"

"Fucking hell it's not so bad, Bokuto."

"Akaashi!" Bokuto replied, and Akaashi wasn't sure if his astonishment was at the cursing or the fact that he'd dropped the honorific. Frankly, he didn't really care. The wound on Bokuto's leg looked ugly and red, and blood was seeping out from the edges of the patch. For an instant Akaashi wanted to just give him a sedative that would keep him knocked out for the next twelve hours, but he knew that wasn't an option right now. Well, or ever, tempting as the thought might be.

Instead he just ran a scanner over the wound, relaxing when he saw that the redness was due to irritation and not infection. He sprayed on disinfectant and a local anesthetic around the edges of the patch before sealing it up. They'd probably need to change his dressings later, but this would do for now.

"You're such a -" he said, looking up at Bokuto when he was done.

"I know," Bokuto said, giving him a sad little smile as he looked down. "I know. Such a fuckup. Why you ever got saddled with me as a partner I don't know."

Akaashi just glared at him. He hated these moods, these moments where Bokuto's depression came out in what felt like self-indulgent melodrama. He knew it wasn't, but he hated that there was even one corner of Bokuto's mind that believed the words were true.

He could fight people outside of Bokuto's head, but he couldn't fight on the inside. If he was better at pretty words and phrases it might help, but he wasn't.

Maybe one of the other two would be.

A thousand words came into his mouth but he bit them back, not wanting to push Bokuto down any further than he already was. Bokuto was watching him, hand reaching out to stroke his arm.

"I'm sorry, Akaashi. I'm sorry."

Akaashi nodded. The apology was for so many things, he knew. He was just too tired, so he let himself be pulled forward until his forehead was pressed against Bokuto's. "I know."

Bokuto pulled back then and looked up at him with his heart in his eyes.

Akaashi sighed. He loved him. He loved him so much.

"I don't want you to get hurt again," he said. "I don't want you to get hurt again where I can't be there to pick you up. I just -"

Words failed him, but Bokuto was hugging him close, rubbing his back and letting Akaashi hide his tears against his shoulder.

"I know. I know," Bokuto said.

He didn't offer any words of reassurance, though. They wouldn't be true. They didn't live in a world where Bokuto would be free from danger. Akaashi himself had nearly been brained by Iwaizumi. They lived a dangerous life, and all in all it was a good one, one where they had a lot more control over their own actions than most people did.

Life was dangerous. He knew that.

At least like this they had a fighting chance.

He squeezed Bokuto and stepped back, going over to a mirror to inspect the damage his emotions had caused. It wasn't bad. He wet a towel and pressed the cool fabric to his eyes, willing himself to calm down.

"Akaaaashi," Bokuto said, sitting up now on the bed. He still had his pants off, the dope.

Was wearing stupid underwear too. It was probably a good thing that the Seijou members hadn't tried stripping him. "Put your pants on," Akaashi said. "We have a meeting to get to."

Bokuto nodded, slipping his pants on as Akaashi walked closer to the door. Coming over he tugged at Akaashi's hand. "Akaashi," he said, "I love you."

Akaashi turned to him then, feeling laid open and bare. He reached out and tangled his fingers in that stupid hair, pulling Bokuto close and into a kiss. Bokuto was surprised at first but pressed back hungrily, hands sliding down Akaashi's body as he pushed him into the wall. Akaashi wanted to press the enormity of his emotions into Bokuto with just his mouth. Wanted him to know how much he loved him, how much he cared about him, wanted to wrap him with everything he could to keep him safe even if it was impossible.

The kiss left him breathless and panting when they broke off, going back in for a few more times, clashing as they tasted lips and tongues and mouths. He wanted more.

He wanted nothing more than to be locked in a room forever with this man.

Kuroo was outside waiting though, and Kenma.

The thought of them made Akaashi's heart ache more, and he rested his head against Bokuto's shoulder with the knowledge that he was starting to become vulnerable like this to them as well. If something like this happened to Kuroo - or Kenma, fuck, Kenma who was so strong and fragile at the same time -

Akaashi felt like he could go mad from caring too much.

Bokuto hugged him close and nuzzled into his hair. "I've got you, 'kaashi," he said softly. "I've got you. I'm ok. Everything's going to be ok."

Slowly, ever so slowly, Akaashi started to breathe again. His heartbeat calmed, beat by beat. Emotions receded. Logic returned.

He nodded against Bokuto's shoulder, still clinging a few more moments before he let him go.

Bokuto looked down at him, brushing his fingers over his cheek. "I love you, Akaashi," he said, face far too serious.

Akaashi frowned. "What is it?"

Glancing to the side, Bokuto said. "Well. I've got a plan. But, ah. I don't think you're going to like it."

Akaashi stared at him.

"It's a good plan though, ok? I've thought it over a lot. Just - trust me, ok? Everything's going to be alright."

How he could stand there and say that when his last half-assed plan had gotten them - gotten him -

Akaashi felt emotions battling in his heart, fear warring with the cool desire give Bokuto the trust he was asking for. He was anything but stupid, after all.

And sometimes his vision really was the best at seeing the clearest path to victory.


	17. Plans and Invitations (E)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another E rated chapter.... evidently I was in the mood to write smut, and Bo and Kuroo just made it easy. Next chapter will have more smut too. Enjoy the sin.

"No," Akaashi said. "Absolutely not."

"I agree with Akaashi," Kuroo said.

Bokuto sighed, staring across the table at his messy-haired teammate. He glanced at Akaashi and squeezed his hand, steeling himself against their reactions. He'd known they'd be upset. Hell, he wasn't really happy with the plan either, but it really did seem like their best option.

He looked at Kenma, trying to read the expression on his face. It was guarded, but not negative.

Trust me, Bokuto wanted to say. Trust me.

He didn't exactly feel very trustworthy right now.

"The idea does have a certain amount of sense," Iwaizumi said.

Kuroo didn't look very happy about that. There was a part of Bokuto that wished that he'd been able to lay the plan out when it was just the four of them, so they wouldn't be arguing in public.

Oh well.

"It does," Kenma finally said.

"What?" said Kuroo.

"It does, Kuro," Kenma said. "The people watching us probably do already know that Bokuto has been taken, so that fixes part of the ruse. It makes more sense for Akaashi to stay here because he's the pilot of the ship."

"Then I should go with Bokuto."

Kenma shook his head. "No. We need to balance things out. And Kunimi can stay here and work with Sugawara on the digital end of things. I need to be there to make sure we get all the right evidence out in the field."

Kuroo just looked over across the table at Bokuto, helplessness evident in his gaze. Strangely enough, he could tell that the worry there wasn't just for Kenma, either.

He tried giving Kuroo a reassuring smile, but was pretty sure it didn't come out right.

Suddenly an unexpected voice spoke up.

"If Kunimi is staying," Kindaichi said, "I'm staying too."

"What?" Oikawa said.

Bokuto looked over at Kindaichi. He'd been so quiet ever since they got captured, Bokuto had figured he was always like that. Something in the other's eyes said not though.

"You're obviously going out there, and so is Iwaizumi-san. I'm assuming Matsukawa-san and Hanamaki-san are as well. It's a no-brainer that Kyoutani is going. I'm not going to leave Kunimi here by himself."

"I wouldn't -" Oikawa started, then stopped when Iwaizumi laid a hand on his wrist. They looked at each other a long moment, then Oikawa turned and nodded at Kindaichi. "Alright," he said.

Bokuto looked over to see how Kunimi was taking this, but he just seemed busy looking at the screen in front of him.

"I'd like Kageyama to stay with you all as well, if that's alright," Daichi said. "That way he can still be here if they need him at his official job. I'll need to be going in and out sometimes to help with Karasuno business, but I'll also be helping. Hinata, you good with going out of town?"

"Yep!" the redhead said, grinning widely from his spot on the other side of Kenma. "I'm good. Yachi said she'd take over my work at the club if we're gone too long."

"Good," Daichi said.

"See Kenma," Hinata said, "I told you we'd be going on an adventure."

Kuroo looked down at Kenma with a worried look on his face, but Kenma just nodded. Bokuto thought he might have even seen the hint of a smile on his face. Well that was cool. Hinata seemed like an energetic guy, and it would be nice to have a neutral party along if they were going out amidst all of Seijou's people.

"I still don't like it," Akaashi said, holding up a hand as Bokuto turned to speak, "however, I see why Yamiji-san suggested it. He is right, if there are other people looking for us taking this ship out there will just lead them right to the shipment. I'm assuming you all have transportation out of the city?"

Oikawa looked over at Hanamaki, who nodded.

"We have a surface ship outside the city limits. It's camouflaged and off the radar, so it shouldn't be trackable."

Akaashi nodded, looking at Kenma. "Good. We'll need to make some preparations before you go. I'll need Kenma to talk with Kunimi and I about the systems to make sure we're all on the same page. Before that, though, I think we should all talk about how you are going to make your exit."

"Exit?" Bokuto asked, glancing from Akaashi to Kenma and then Kuroo. Kuroo had tilted his head to the side and was glancing down at Kenma, a frown on his face. Kenma, however, was looking straight at Akaashi. He pursed his lips and then sighed, nodding.

"In order to make this look good, if we are attempting to pull the wool over their eyes - at least officially - we may need to pull a bit of sleight of hand. It helps that they know you were taken, Bokuto, and that they don't know who all we took into custody. At least, that's what I'm assuming?"

Kageyama nodded. "Don't think we got any definite news about anything, actually. Just rumors, so you're probably safe."

"Good," Akaashi said. "They also probably don't know much about Kozume-san's capabilities, either, which comes in handy. This is what I'm proposing."

~~~~~~~~~

Kuroo was silent as he and Bokuto walked back towards the medbay to change Bokuto's patch. He was worried. This was not the sort of situation he'd wanted to sign them up for - if he had his way, he would always be at Kenma's side. He'd accepted being split up for this job because Kenma would be in the safer spot inside the ship most of the time, but this was different.

This, he'd have no control over.

He knew it was the best plan, and he hated it.

"You're so serious," Bokuto muttered, nudging him.

And then there was Bokuto.

"Ah," Kuroo said, looking up at the ceiling, "You're right."

They'd made the decision. No use worrying about it.

At least not right now, when he actually had some time alone with Bokuto. He wondered, suspiciously, if Akaashi had arranged it that way or if had just been the most logical way to do things.

Lips curling in a small smile, he opened the door to the medbay and waved Bokuto in. "After you."

"Ah, Kuroo, you're so polite," Bokuto said, walking in and hopping up onto the edge of the table.

"Polite, kind, what can I say," Kuroo said, shrugging. "It's just in my nature. Should've held your hand crossing the street."

Bokuto laughed. "Then what would people've thought? he asked, grin hiding almost every sign of the strain they were both feeling.

He still had that nagging feeling that he should've been with Bokuto the day before. Nevermind that might've meant them both getting kidnapped. It still felt like part of this whole ordeal was his fault, and now Bokuto and Kenma would be leaving again.

Kuroo wanted to ask Bokuto not to go. Wanted to say that they should just leave Oikawa and his people to the help of other people and go somewhere safe so that Bokuto could heal up. If he had his way, they'd all be doing jobs no more dangerous than chasing down runaway cats. He was good with cats.

At least, that was what his heart was telling him. He'd only just found Bokuto, and already he felt the connection between them. He'd seen the way Kenma watched Bokuto - the very fact that he'd fallen asleep in this man's arms spoke volumes. That in and of itself would've probably won Kuoo over. And Akaashi, there were so many layers to how he could feel about Akaashi that were waiting to be discovered, he knew that.

But right now all his attention was fixed on this man in front of him, warm and crass and full of laughter. Bokuto pulled something out of him that Kuroo hadn't felt in a very long time. He wasn't sure if he'd ever felt it.

Bokuto made him feel more himself.

And now, Bokuto would be leaving, with Kenma, and Kuroo wouldn't be anywhere close to keep them safe.

"You're frowning again," Bokuto said, pointing a finger at him.

"Am I?" Kuroo asked. He lifted his hands and rubbed his face, holding them there until he could smirk properly. "How's this?"

"Better, " Bokuto said, swinging his good leg back and forth as he sat on the edge of the bed. "Still a little rough around the edges. Might not kick it out of bed."

Kuroo mock-gasped, holding his hands to his chest. "You'd kick me out of bed?"

"Maybe after I was done with you."

"No way dude. You don't even know. I'm such a cuddler, I'll cling and worm my way under your pillows until there's no getting rid of me."

"Under my pillows?" Bokuto gasped, then laughed. "Is that what happens to your hair?"

"Shut up," Kuroo said, moving over and pushing Bokuto back onto the bed. "You love my hair."

Snorting, Bokuto said, "Mine's better. Mine's the perfect hair - hey, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Kuroo asked, looking up from where he had Bokuto's pants halfway down his legs.

Bokuto smirked. "You know, if you wanted to get me out of my pants all you had to do was ask."

"Pretty sure we've been heading that way for a while," Kuroo said, smirking right back at him before he looked down at Bokuto's underwear. "Ah. Are those - cartoon owls?"

"Yeah!" Bokuto said. "The Owlies! Best series ever! It's in its 27th season. Do you know them? This one right here is Athena, and this guy is Hooty, and this one over here -"

Kuroo just blinked and listened, flabbergasted for a moment that he was flirting with a man who wore children's tv characters on his underwear.

It was incredible.

It was great.

He could feel amusement bubbling up inside him and he didn't have to hold it in. It escaped in loud, raucous laughter and he turned around, doubling over and trying to catch his breath.

"Hey! Hey!" Bokuto said, hitting him on the back. "Are you laughing at my owls?"

Still shaking Kuroo turned to him, grinning widely. "Maybe."

Bokuto pouted. "It's not that funny."

It wasn't. It really wasn't. But it was hilarious and he couldn't stop laughing and he didn't care if it was just because of stress. It was Bokuto and he couldn't stop smiling. He glanced back again at the boxers and started laughing again, ignoring the way Bokuto was beating a fist against his upper arm.

"You wouldn't be laughing if I took them off," Bokuto groused.

"Are you sure about that?" Kuroo asked.

"Positive," Bokuto said, leering at him.

The look and the thought of just what lay beneath those little cartoon owls made Kuroo's breath catch a moment. No one should be funny and idiotic and so fucking sexy at the same time. Bokuto's grin just widened as they looked at each other. Kuroo liked the heat.

"I need to change your patch," Kuroo said, hearing a hint of huskiness in his own voice.

"I'm not stoppin ya," Bokuto said, leaning back and crossing his arms behind his head. "I mean, if you can control yourself around my hot bod long enough to take care of it, I'm game."

"Hot bod," Kuroo said, turning around. "What the hell does that even mean."

Bokuto shrugged. "Sounds good."

"Right. Like wearing owls on your underwear seems like a good idea."

"Tsk. They're the best, man."

Shaking his head Kuroo managed to pull Bokuto's pants down far enough to get a good look at the wound.

"They really did a number on you, didn't they," Kuroo murmured.

He'd seen worse, of course. Far worse. Kenma's acid burn had been downright terrifying, this wasn't bad at all compared to that. Still, he hated it.

Refusing to let go of the good mood that was still bubbling in his chest, Kuroo moved over to get the necessary supplies. "You guys are pretty well stocked here," he said. "Probably gonna need to take some of this stuff with you when you go."

"Yep," Bokuto said. "We'll get it all squared away. I'll be fine."

"You'd better," Kuroo replied, returning and spraying the sealant relaxer around the edges of the patch. He carefully massaged it off, looking up at Bokuto when he heard the other man take in a breath. "You ok up there?"

"Yeah, yeah, fine," Bokuto said, watching him closely. "How's it look?"

"It's actually not that bad. Looks like it's healing up pretty well here. Glad they didn't mess with it."

Bokuto laughed, short and breathy. "Yeah. Yeah me too, bro. That would've been bad."

Nodding Kuroo made sure the wound was clean before layering the new seal back on. "There, " he said, glancing up at Bokuto.

"All done?" Bokuto said.

"All done."

"You know, you do a pretty good job at playing doctor."

Tilting his head to the side Kuroo regarded Bokuto. "Playing doctor, eh?"

"Yep."

He wasn't sure what Bokuto meant, but could tell by his tone of voice that there was probably some sort of innuendo involved. What the hell, he'd go with it. Glancing back up at the camera in the corner of the medbay he said, "What else does playing doctor entail?"

"Oh, you know. Checkups. Getting their patients to say 'ah.' That sort of thing."

"I thought it was dentists that did the last one," Kuroo murmured, turning back and looking down at him. Bokuto's eyebrows raised in a look that seemed to say, 'what are you, stupid?'

Kuroo wasn't.

"Say ah, then," Kuroo said, giving him his sexiest look.

Bokuto just laughed, reaching up to cover Kuroo’s face with a hand. "I take it back. I take it back. You're not good at playing doctor at all."

"Hey!" Kuroo said, tugging at Bokuto's hand away from his mouth. "You're the one who told me -"

Bokuto's hand slid away from Kuroo's grasp and wrapped around the back of his neck, pulling Kuroo down into a kiss that silenced all the other words threatening to spill out of his lips. It was painful at first. Too full of the press of teeth against lips that hadn't been expecting contact. Kuroo's hands shot out to hold himself steady on the corner of the bed and Bokuto's shoulder. He pulled back just enough to right himself, licking his lips before diving back down into a proper kiss. Because damn if he hadn't been wanting to do this for ages.

Bokuto's hands were in his hair, fingers tangling in the dark locks. Kuroo had never kissed anyone quite like this. It was rough but neither of them were fighting for dominance. Bokuto was still laughing, and he was too. It was different, and over enthusiastic, and wonderful and he loved it.

Trying to move closer Kuroo banged his shin on the side of the bed. He pulled back, unable to keep the grin from his face, and looked down at a flushed and laughing Bokuto. "Man, this is like the most awkward position ever.”

"Give it time," Bokuto said. "I'm sure we can come up with worse positions."

The leer on his face didn't help matters any. Kuroo just tugged at him, urging him to sit and swing his legs back over the side.

"This better?" Bokuto asked, resting his arms on either side of Kuroo's head.

"Yes," Kuroo replied. He put his hands on Bokuto's hips, feeling the warm cotton of those stupid briefs. For a moment he just looked deep into the other man's golden eyes. Bokuto looked back, not blinking. Kuroo didn't blink either. It was childish, having a staring contest. Childish but fun. He ran hands up, brushing the skin on top of the elastic waistband of Bokuto's underwear, and thought about taking his shirt off.

"I hate your underwear," he said instead.

"Why," Bokuto asked, "because it stands between you and the one you love?"

He was joking. Kuroo knew that, and laughed even if he was beginning to believe the words might have the echo of truth in them. "Bro, how can I be in love with your dick if I haven't even seen it."

"Well, do you believe in love at first sight?"

Kuroo snorted, thumbs sliding under the waistband of those offending underwear. "Do you?" he asked.

Bokuto smiled, not answering. Kuroo wanted to believe there was an answer in his eyes, in his movements. Wanted to read the truth straight from the man's lips instead of hearing it with his ears.

So he kissed him again.

Bokuto wrapped his arms more tightly around Kuroo's neck, one hand going into his dark hair again, pulling him closer. He lifted up his hips as Kuroo's hands slid down around to grope his ass, squeezing the cheeks and pressing himself between Bokuto's legs. He hated the underwear because he wanted them off. Wanted everything off, but he'd settle for just the underwear right now.

Soon they were down around Bokuto's ankles keeping company with his pants, and Kuroo finally had what he wanted.

He pulled back from the kiss and looked down.

"What do you think?" Bokuto asked. "Hot, am I right?"

Kuroo chuckled and moved his hands around to wrap them around Bokuto's cock, tugging it to full hardness.

Bokuto sucked in a breath. "You just go straight for it, don't you?" he said, laughing breathlessly.

"Sometimes," Kuroo admitted, watching Bokuto's face. There were two spots of color on the other man's cheeks that he liked. He played over his options in his head, trying to figure out what he wanted to do right now.

Really, at the moment, there was only one thing. The rest could wait for later.

"What are you thinking?" Bokuto asked.

Kuroo just grinned, and moved his hands to Bokuto's thighs before lowering himself down to the ground. "Figure a closer inspection is in order."

Bokuto's eyes widened in pure delight, and Kuroo thought he'd never get tired of seeing that look on the other man's face. "Well hell, I'm not gonna stop you if that's what you're after."

Chuckling Kuroo leaned closer, planting a few soft kisses on the inside of Bokuto's thigh. "Good."

Bokuto's hands were in his hair again, just playing now as Kuroo leaned forward and nuzzled at Bokuto's long cock. He'd have to ask one of the other two to be sure, but he was fairly sure that Bokuto's cock was shorter than his own by just a bit, but thicker. Inhaling he found that Bokuto smelled sweaty.

"You need a shower," Kuroo said, glancing up with a grin.

Bokuto made a face, pouting. "Well excuse me if I was kidnapped and spent hours on a damp floor while unconscious. Haven't exactly had time for a shower."

"You should make time."

"Now?"

Kuroo snorted. "No, not now."

It wasn't like he really cared. He wrapped a hand around the base of Bokuto's cock and lapped at the head, feeling hands tighten in his hair. That was hot. He wondered how hard Bokuto would pull given the right encouragement.

He decided to find out.

"Fuck Kurooooo," Bokuto moaned out as Kuroo wrapped his mouth around his cock. It was salty and sweaty but Kuroo didn't care. He loved the ridges, the way the skin rolled back, and most of all how Bokuto dug his hands into his hair and pulled before letting go and patting his head as if in apology.

It was too fucking cute.

He bobbed his head, sucking on each uptake and listening to the little sounds Bokuto made to help tell him what to do. Soon enough he was moving his hand from the base of Bokuto's cock to his balls, taking him in deeper and deeper and trying to look up to see how the other man was reacting. Bokuto was arched, head evidently thrown back, because the damn shirt was in the way. He wanted to see, damnit. He wanted to see everything.

The tightness in his pants was reminding him he wanted way more than that, but not right now. Right now he wanted to make Bokuto come undone with just his mouth and his hands. He'd save the rest for later.

Redoubling his efforts he started to hum, pressing Bokuto's cock against the roof of his mouth and loving the way those fingers curled tightly in his hair again. They moved, pulling with Kuroo's movements like they wanted him to move faster. Kuroo did, letting Bokuto's hands guide him, though they were still far too tentative for his liking.

"Kuroo - fuck - would you let me -"

He hummed in the affirmative, looking up as Bokuto leaned his head forward to look down at him. Bokuto's eyes were glassy with lust. When Kuroo winked at him he groaned, pulling at his hair so that Kuroo backed off until only the head of Bokuto's cock was in his mouth. He sucked, hard, tongue playing in his slit.

"Fuck Kuroo you look so amazing like this," Bokuto moaned out. "I want to - fuck - I want to fuck your face, ah, please. Fuck. Can I? You can tell me no you feel so amazing I just - please -"

Kuroo just nodded, sucking him in a bit deeper, and smiled to himself as he heard Bokuto groan again. Then those hands were moving him again, pulling him closer at a slow steady pace, and Bokuto's cock was pushing deeper and deeper into his mouth until it hit his throat.

It was too slow for him. Too slow and gentle. He wanted more.

This was what Bokuto wanted, though. This was what Bokuto wanted, and Bokuto looked fucking incredible as he moaned.

Kuroo was pulled back, then pushed down again, faster this time. And again, and again. He had to close his eyes as he gave himself over to the hands moving his head, wanting to move his hands down and unzip his pants so he could stroke himself off. This - fuck. This demanding, greedy Bokuto was hot as fuck. He didn't care that he could barely breathe, that Bokuto was pressing him down more and more until his cock was slipping into Kuroo's throat with each stroke. It was so good, and the string of curse words coming from Bokuto's mouth just made everything all the hotter He loved that. Loved the little growls and moans and the way Bokuto's fingers were pulling his hair so tight.

"I'm com- I'm coming - Fuck if you want me to stop - oh fuck Kuroo - just ungh -"

Kuroo wanted to laugh at the whine in his voice because he didn't want to stop, didn't make any move to stop him, and Bokuto was greedy enough to take that as permission to just keep going. It was hard and fast and rough and then Bokuto was pushing his face into the hairs on his stomach, cock pulsing deep in his throat as he yelled out and came, loud and shuddering.

"Fuck," he said, letting go of Kuroo's head and resting his hands on his thighs. "Fuck."

Kuroo agreed.

He bobbed his head up and down a few times, swallowing the cum that hadn't gone down his throat. He could feel Bokuto fidget when it got to be too much so he pulled off, licking his lips and staring up at the other man with a smirk.

"Ach, Kuroo," Bokuto said, covering his face with his hands. "I can't believe I just - you let me - is it ok?"

Kuroo chuckled, feeling a slight soreness in his throat. "Bokuto, that was fucking perfect, man. I loved it."

Peeking through his fingers Bokuto said, "Really?"

"Really."

They stared at each other again, Bokuto lifting a hand to run his fingers over Kuroo's face, tracing his bottom lip. "You're so amazing, Kuroo."

"Well, yeah."

Bokuto laughed, then his eyes widened. "Oh! You should let me do you!"

Smirking, Kuroo shook his head. "Not right now. Not gonna have you get on your knees with your leg like that, bro."

"Ahh but Kuroo!" Bokuto said, pouting. "No fair. I want to see you too."

Tilting his head to the side, Kuroo said, "Save it for when you get back?"

That means you have to come back, he thought. You both have to come back. Say it like a promise.

He didn't say the words, but he was pretty sure Bokuto saw right through him anyways, with the way his eyes gentled and his fingers brushed the hair out of Kuroo's eyes.

"I should be able to do both," Bokuto said.

"Maybe," Kuroo said, pushing himself up, "but later."

He noticed there was a light blinking on the console so he went over to check out the message, feeling Bokuto come up behind him after a moment.

"I want it now," Bokuto said, sliding hands around him and kissing his shoulder.

"Do you - ah."

Kuroo stared down at the screen in front of him, and swallowed hard. "Well, which do you want more," he asked. "To keep messing around here in this cold medbay, or to answer this invitation we just got?"

"Invita - oh. Oh wow."

Bokuto's eyes went wide as he watched the two men on screen. "I'm invited to that?"

"Yep."

"You're coming too?"

Kuroo chuckled. "Bro, I think we're all coming."

"Yeah," Bokuto breathed out. "Yeah, I bet we are. Though I beat all of you."

Snorting, Kuroo said, "I'm not sure that's something to brag about."

"It is from my perspective," Bokuto said, squeezing Kuroo's ass.

Kuroo smiled. "We should get going. Don't want them to get too far without us, do we?"

"Sometimes I like to watch," Bokuto said, still staring as the bodies of their lovers moved on the screen. "But tonight - no. You're right. Wouldn't want to keep them waiting."

"My thoughts exactly.”


	18. Come together (E)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said... more smut, rated E for everyone who loves it. Just the four of them coming together the night before they're going to have to say goodbye for a while.... and also kinda as a celebration for bumping over the 50k mark for me. Hope you enjoy.

“Are you sure you’re ok with this?”

Kenma just looked up at Akaashi. It was unlike him to be so uncertain, at least from the short time he’d known him. 

“Yes,” Kenma said, reaching up to pat Akaashi’s cheek.

It wasn’t the first time today Akaashi had asked him that question, and the meaning kept changing each time it was asked.

Are you sure you’re ok going off with Bokuto and the others. Are you sure you’re ok letting Kunimi into our network. Are you sure you’re ok going with me to my bedroom. Are you sure you’re ok with me touching you. Are you sure you’re ok with inviting the others.

At least that was how Kenma had interpreted the questions.

They were now standing in Akaashi and Bokuto’s room, both aware that of the message they’d sent. Kenma’s lips tasted like Akaashi, and he wanted more.

It wasn’t exactly something Kenma had planned. He’d just decided to check the feed into the medbay after Kunimi had left. He hadn’t exactly expected what was on the screen, though it wasn’t all that surprising, either.

It had been far more interesting watching Akaashi’s face.

“Do you think they’re going to?” Akaashi had asked.

“I think,” Kenma had said, “that we should watch this from your bedroom.”

That had been that.

Kenma liked sitting in laps. Akaashi, it turned out, had a nice lap. Sitting in his lap while watching the rest of what Bokuto and Kuroo were doing in the medbay had been a very good decision on Kenma’s part. Not only had it been educational about what Bokuto liked, it had helped clue Kenma in on quite a few things Akaashi might like as well.

And then, of course, there was the kissing. 

Now they were standing, waiting, and Kenma could see just from looking in Akaashi’s eyes that he was starting to think again. It made him want to say things. Just thinking about it made him remember that this moment, opening up to someone new, was scary to him too.

But the want was bigger than the fear.

Steeling himself he watched Akaashi’s eyes, moving his hands to unbutton the taller man’s shirt. Getting Akaashi naked was something he could do.

Getting himself naked, on the other hand, well.

He almost shied away from that thought. It was the fact that he wanted to show Akaashi first, without Bokuto and Kuroo, that stilled his hands.

“You ok?” Akaashi said, sliding a finger under his chin and lifting it up. 

“Yes,” Kenma said, finishing with Akaashi’s shirt and pushing it open. He slid his hands up over the skin of Akaashi’s chest, watching his face as he made the nanites in his fingertips dance. It was lovely to watch as Akaashi’s eyes lit up, distracted from his worry by the new sensation. Oh, Akaashi would be so beautiful to watch. It reminded Kenma why he wanted what was about to happen.

Because a part of him didn’t want to leave. A big part. Logically he knew it was the right thing to do, but emotionally he was selfish. It would’ve been easier to keep dancing around this, waiting for things to develop at a leisurely pace, but the danger they would be facing changed everything.

He knew all too well that safety could be just an illusion, and forever was too easy to cut short.

Slowly he pulled back from Akaashi and lifted hands to the top of his own shirt, tugging at the zipper. Akaashi just watched. Kenma felt heat coil in his belly at the obvious desire in his eyes. He hesitated, steeling himself for the moment that look would change to something else. Pity, concern, disgust, he didn’t know. Didn’t want to know, except he wanted to give himself over to this man, and that meant taking the chance.

Shrugging his shirt off he fought the desire to look down and hide his face. 

His heart was beating out of his chest as he tried to read the look Akaashi was giving him. It seemed.... Thoughtful?

“This is from the battle on Akobar 7, right?” Akaashi said, lifting a hand to softly trace the scar covering Kenma’s shoulder.

“Yes,” Kenma said.

“Does it still bother you?”

“Sometimes.”

They looked at each other for a long moment, Akaashi’s fingers tracing over the ridges of the scar, following it around then moving to hold the back of Kenma’s neck. Kenma relaxed into the touch as Akaashi lowered his head, kissing Kenma in a way that left no doubt in his mind that the desire was still there between them. He echoed it back, hands reaching around to feel Akaashi’s ass. That made Akaashi make noise. Kenma could feel himself lighting up, feel the way the kiss intensified when everything started dancing inside him. 

Akaashi countered his ass grab by sliding a hand between them and cupping Kenma through his pants. He pushed up into the hand, head falling back. Akaashi’s eyes were glowing. Kenma knew without even asking that his were doing the same. 

Akaashi pressed his hand harder, rolling the base of his palm from side to side. He looked so damn hungry.

“Bed,” Kenma said.

“Bed,” Akaashi agreed, looking more awake and alive than Kenma had ever seen before.

It was enough to make him not even care that Akaashi basically lifted him up and tossed him down on the mattress, hands going to unfasten Kenma’s pants and pull them down along with his underwear. Kenma lifted up on his elbows to watch, entranced by the vision now between his legs. 

“You’re joining me up here, right?” Kenma said.

“Maybe,” Akaashi replied, gaze tracing down Kenma’s naked body. “I could go for a replay of what happened in the medbay. Seems like you’re up for it.”

Tempting, so very tempting. But later.

Kenma promised himself there would be a later, a time when he’d have Akaashi all to himself. But not now.

“I said bed,” Kenma murmured, sitting up and reaching to tug at Akaashi’s arms, smiling at the other man’s soft laughter as he complied with Kenma’s urging. From there Kenma made short work of getting Akaashi naked just like him. He didn’t get to see as much as he would’ve liked because Akaashi’s hands were all over him, pulling him back into a kiss that left them both breathless. 

Kenma rolled Akaashi onto his back, looking down at him with a smile. He’d never get over those eyes, or the way a simple touch could make them glow brighter. He had the feeling that Akaashi would soon learn to control his nanites to make them do the same thing. Already Kenma could feel trails of sensation where Akaashi’s fingertips had traced. They were tracing down his back now, moving towards Kenma’s ass in a slow teasing fashion. 

The door slid open.

“Damnit Kuroo, I told you we should’ve gotten here faster. They’re already naked.”

“Guess that just means we have to catch up, oh hoh?”

“Oh hoh hoh, you’re right.”

“And we can watch while we’re doing it.”

Kenma turned his head and looked at the two men in the doorway.

“If you two aren’t careful,” Akaashi said, hand now kneading Kenma’s ass, “watching is all we’ll let you do.”

Bokuto made a noise at distress at that, pulling his shirt off, but Kuroo just stood there watching. Kenma had forgotten what it felt like to have Kuroo watch him with another man’s hands on his body. It heightened the desire almost painfully high. Kuroo knew what each touch was doing to him. Kenma felt even more exposed than when he was naked with Kuroo alone.

“Dude, what are you doing, get your clothes off!” Bokuto said, tugging at Kuroo’s shirt.

“What?” Kuroo said, snapping out of it. “Oh, yeah bro. Hey, if you wanna get me naked go ahead.”

Akaashi was chuckling again, pulling Kenma’s attention away from the other two and back into a kiss. He slid one leg between Kenma’s own, rocking against him and letting his fingers slide between the cheeks of Kenma’s ass. Kenma tensed as a fingertip slid over his asshole. The finger pulled back, Akaashi broke the kiss, looking at Kenma a moment and nodding before sliding his hand down and caressing the back of Kenma’s thigh.

Kenma relaxed, looking over at the edge of the bed when he heard a small whine.

“Can we join you on the bed?” Bokuto asked.

He was fully naked now, with Kuroo behind him. Kenma took a moment to let his gaze run all over Bokuto’s body. He was muscular, thicker than Kuroo or Akaashi. Kenma licked his lips as he followed the lines of Bokuto’s hip down to his cock. He couldn’t do what Kuroo had done earlier, but he wanted to taste it. Wondered if Kuroo would hold his arms back while he did.

He glanced back at Akaashi and saw him give a little shrug, smile playing over his lips. Leaning over to his ear, Kenma asked, “Can I taste him?”

“Yes,” Akaashi whispered back. “Do you mind if I explore while you do?”

“No,” Kenma replied. “Feel free.”

“He likes to be restrained sometimes,” Akaashi said, loud enough for the other two to hear.

“What?” Bokuto asked.

Kenma just looked down at Akaashi in wonder, feeling the smile curving on his lips. He kissed him again then, arching as Akaashi’s fingertips pressed into his lower back. When he turned back around, he saw Kuroo whispering into Bokuto’s ear, hands wrapped around to hold his upper arms.

Bokuto’s breath had sped up, and he looked down as Kenma turned over and crawled toward him on the bed.

“What - what are you doing?”

“Spoiling you,” Kenma said, glancing up with a smile. “Well, maybe.”

He knelt at the edge, hands sliding over the top of those sculpted hips, and pressed a kiss to Bokuto’s belly. 

“I wanna kiss,” Bokuto said. 

Kenma kissed him again, glancing up, amused at the pout on the other man’s mouth.

“Kenma!” Bokuto whined.

“Bokuto-san likes his kisses,” Akaashi said, laughter in his voice. 

Kuroo was grinning ear to ear, resting his chin on Bokuto’s shoulder as he looked down at Kenma. He was happy. Kuroo was happy. Kenma might’ve kissed the man between them for that reason alone.

“I plan on kissing him,” Kenma said, finally giving in when Bokuto made little kissy faces at him. Bokuto was a joy.

Kenma slid his arms around around the shoulders of the two men in front of him, feeling Kuroo kiss his upper arm. Then Kenma was kissing Bokuto, a gentle Bokuto who was letting him set the pace, letting him do anything. 

He could fall in love with this man, he realized. This man who was yellow and bright like the sun, in contrast to the constant red heat of Kuroo’s warmth, and the cool green of Akaashi’s kisses trailing down his back. They could be in harmony together. He felt it, saw their future run together as something healthy in his mind as he played out the possibilities. There were scenarios where things would go bad - there always were - but there was something about the light of this man he was kissing that pulled things closer to happiness.

Kenma was laughing when he pulled back from the kiss. It surprised him. He looked over at Kuroo and saw the smile on his face that had to be kissed as well. Akaashi was behind him now, chest pressed against Kenma’s back as he leaned over to kiss Bokuto, and it was just the perfect position for Kenma to bring his mouth to Kuroo’s. He didn’t even care that he was sandwiched in the middle. Everyone was touching him and he was touching everyone back. Things shifted, grew more heated, Kuroo biting his lower lip and Akaashi rocking against the curves of Kenma’s ass. 

Bokuto whined again, and Kenma broke the kiss to turn and watch. Kuroo quickly latched onto his ear, biting the lobe and breathing harshly in the way he knew Kenma liked.

“Are you going to suck him off?” Kuroo murmured.

“Yes,” Kenma replied. “Oh yes.”

Reminded of his initial mission Kenma pushed back against Akaashi with his hips, feeling him shift to the side enough that Kenma could kiss his way down the body before him. He felt Bokuto’s moan with his lips and looked up to see Kuroo sucking on his neck, Akaashi still attached to his mouth. 

He thought about what it would be like to be at the center of all that attention.

For the moment, he was more in the mood to give than receive.

Bokuto’s cock was hard as a rock and leaking when he got close, head red and shining. It was a thing of beauty. Kenma lapped at it, raising his hands to hold Bokuto’s hips still as he threatened to thrust forward. Tilting his head to the side he licked all the way down, wanting to clean up every drop of precum.

Kuroo’s mouth had just been here. Kuroo was a part of the wetness here. Kenma loved it.

Suddenly he could hear Bokuto’s noises clearly. Akaashi shifted to the side, exchanging some mumbling words that Kenma couldn’t quite make out before he had moved away from the bed. He’d be back though, Kenma knew that. He was much too focused on the cock in front of him to worry.

“Ku - Ken - Ka -” Bokuto gasped, almost making Kenma giggle as he lifted Bokuto’s cock with a hand so that he could suck at his balls. Bouto was whining again, legs shuffling apart in response to one of Kuroo’s knees. Kenma heard the click of a cap and more murmurs, then felt Bokuto jerk forward. 

Kenma pulled back, crinkling his nose and looking up at Kuroo. There was more mischievousness than apology in his eyes, but Kenma knew how to get him back. He kept his gaze locked on Kuroo as he leaned down, taking the head of Bokuto’s cock in his mouth and pursing his lips. The way Kuroo’s eyes widened was revenge enough for Kenma.

Then the bed dipped as Akaashi came back, kissing his way over Kenma’s shoulders. His hands worked their way down Kenma’s back, squeezing the cheeks of ass.

“He likes biting,” Kuroo said. “And nails.”

“Does he now,” Akaashi murmured.

“All sorts of pets, yep.”

Kenma would get him back for that. Later though. For now he just sucked a breath in through his nose as moved Akaashi behind him, knees on either side of his legs, fingers raking down the line of his back. Kuroo was right, Kenma did love it, loved the way it made him arch in response. 

Bokuto whined harder as Kenma sucked him in deeper. Kuroo’s fingers were moving inside him now, Kenma could tell. Could hear the squelch, feel the trembling in Bokuto’s thighs. 

“Kuroo, please - I’m fine, I’m fine, please just -”

“Don’t be impatient, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi scolded. He was leaning over Kenma now, sucking marks into Kenma’s shoulder. One hand had traced back down, nails digging into Kenma’s ass before moving lower, fingers sliding between the juncture of his thighs. “Can I do this here? Please?” he asked, fingertips rubbing against Kenma’s taint and the back of his balls.

It was happening fast. Kenma pulled off of Bokuto’s cock long enough to look at Akaashi, licking his lips. It was happening fast but it made sense, and Kenma wanted it. “Yes,” he said. “If I can have more later.”

Akaashi’s eyes widened and then he smirked, nodding. 

“Kenma,” Bokuto said, shifting his hips so that his cock nudged up against Kenma’s face. Scowling up at him Kenma heard Akaashi chuckle again. 

“He hates being ignored,” Akaashi murmured, kissing Kenma on the shoulder again before he leaned back.

Whatever happened, Kenma didn’t want to ignore Bokuto. He took him back in his mouth, sucking him in deep and moving in time with the rocking of his hips. He felt Bokuto lean forward just a bit, heard when Kuroo removed his fingers from Bokuto’s ass. Bokuto panted, hips stilling as Kuroo started to press his cock inside him. Kenma just suckled at his cock, wanting to distract him from any discomfort. 

“So good,” Bokuto moaned, interrupted in the middle by a kiss from Akaashi. The kiss didn’t last long though. Soon Kenma felt the squish of lube between his thighs and felt Akaashi’s cock pressing in, heard the man behind him groan. Kenma wondered, if he looked up, if he’d find Kuroo watching him. Wanting this. Knowing, as he thrust forward into Bokuto, that it would drive Bokuto’s cock deeper into Kenma’s mouth. Everything was wet and messy and full of sensation, but right now Kenma wanted this sensation. Wanted all of it.

Kenma stopped any teasing and rocked back, squeezing his thighs together as Akaashi thrust forward. He moaned around Bokuto’s cock as Akaashi’s hand slid around and grasped his cock. It was still wet with the lube he’d used to slick Kenma’s thighs. Akaashi’s hand was tight, squeezing, letting him push through rather than just stroking him. It made Kenma want all sorts of things, all sorts of /more later/. 

Right now though he focused on Bokuto. Kenma held his hips to make sure that the cock in his mouth didn’t choke him. He wasn’t as good as Kuroo in some things. He doubted Bokuto minded. From the sounds and gasps above him Bokuto was doing just fine - more than fine, losing himself in kisses with Kuroo as he got fucked. 

His stamina was something to be admired. Kenma could feel the way his thighs were trembling though, the way he was leaning his weight against the edge of the bed, favoring his bad leg. Pulling back Kenma moved a hand to keep stroking Bokuto’s cock as he looked over his shoulder at Akaashi. 

“Thigh,” was all he said, seeing the other nod in response.

“What?” Bokuto groaned. “No, Kenma...”

Kuroo chuckled, saying, “Yes, Kenma,” before stopping his thrusts and sliding a hand down to check the edges of Bokuto’s wound. He frowned slightly before nodding, and Kenma and Akaashi moved back as Kuroo pulled out and urged a whining Bokuto to lay on his side on the bed.

“I was so close,” Bokuto grumbled. “My leg was fine.”

Kenma smiled, wondering if he was always this spoiled in bed. Then again, it was fun to spoil him. “Don’t worry, Bo,” he said. “We’ve got you.”

“Kiss me,” Bokuto said, so Kenma did.

He felt Kuroo slot himself back in behind Bokuto, pulling his injured leg back a bit before sliding back inside his ass. Akaashi was pressing in behind Kenma, pushing his cock between his thighs, hand sliding between him and Bokuto to hold their cocks tightly together. That left Kenma free to just explore Bokuto’s mouth, one hand sliding back behind to tangle in Kuroo’s hair the way he knew he liked as they started back up again. At first, the pace was leisurely and gentle. 

This was something to be savored, Kenma thought. The way Bokuto’s tongue pressed against his own, sliding into his mouth. The nipping little bites of Akaashi’s mouth on his neck. The feel of Kuroo’s hand sliding over and around, fingers curling into his hip and tugging him closer with every thrust he made into Bokuto’s ass. It was beautiful, and messy, and perfect.

They rocked together, moans swallowed up by mouths and skin. The pace sped back up gradually, Bokuto growing impatient and pushing back harder, Kuroo thrusting deep in response. Kenma didn’t care because he was losing himself in all the sensations, feeling like a ship on the ocean. This was pleasure and joy, and he felt the sparks dance over his skin whenever Kuroo and Akaashi touched him. Bokuto’s touches were more more muted but no less wanted. 

He could feel the pleasure building higher in him and he tasted its sweetness, giving himself over to it, feeling Bokuto pull back from the kiss with a gasp as he came between them. Kuroo’s hand was gone from Kenma’s thigh, sliding back so that he could stroke himself as he pulled out. Kenma watched his face greedily, knowing the exact moment Kuroo went over the edge and feeling Akaashi’s hand tighten around him in just the right way to stop him from following.

Frowning Kenma turned, glaring at Akaashi.

“Sorry,” Akaashi said. “I want to see you.”

He didn’t look sorry. 

Though in truth, Kenma wanted to watch Akaashi as well.

He shifted, feeling Bokuto’s hands lazy on his hips as he turned over, tangling his legs with Akaashi’s and wrapping his arms around him for a kiss. Kuroo’s hands were on him too. Knowing that the other two were sated - at least for the moment - didn’t matter. They were there, watching, with them as Akaashi wrapped his hands around their cocks and started stroking again. Kenma deepened the kiss, rocking against him and hearing the murmur of voices behind him as the pleasure Akaashi had denied came rushing back in full force. This wasn’t gentle or slow, they were too far gone for that. It was good though, so good, and the way Akaashi squeezed him had Kenma gasping as the press of Kuroo’s nails in his hip drove him over the edge. He felt Akaashi follow, heard him moan in one of the sweetest sounds Kenma had ever heard. 

Perfect.

That had been perfect.

They lay there, snuggled together and happy.

Kenma was sleepy.

“Are you falling asleep on us?” Akaashi murmured, kissing his cheek.

“He gets worn out sometimes,” Kuroo said, and Kenma wanted to scowl.

“I’m just happy,” Kenma mumbled, feeling Bokuto pull him close and nuzzle his neck. 

“Me too, Kenma, me too,” Bokuto said.

“Yeah,” Kuroo said, hand reaching out to pull Akaashi closer to them, “me too.”

Kenma opened his eyes to peer at Akaashi and saw that he was smiling. He didn’t speak, just nodded, but Kenma knew without a doubt that he was happy too.


	19. Saying goodbye, saying hello

A soft gentle beeping woke Akaashi from slumber. He stared at the ceiling, then pushed up and reached over to slide of his alarm before looking at the other occupants of the bed.

Kuroo was on his stomach, head buried beneath three pillows. Bokuto was sprawled out on his back beside him, limbs flung over Kuroo and and his pillows, breathing through an open mouth but thankfully not snoring. Kenma was curled over him, one arm reaching over both of the bodies next to him and the other reaching back towards Akaashi.

It did something to his heart.

Smiling he carefully leaned over, pushing the covers down so he could check on Bokuto’s thigh. Kenma’s hand shot out and wrapped around his wrist, stopping him from moving. Akaashi smiled and kissed the sleeping man’s shoulder. “It’s only me, Kenma,” he murmured, feeling the grip loosen as Kenma’s hand slid over to squeeze Kuroo’s ass before moving up to curl around his side.

Akaashi took a moment to enjoy the view.

It was, after all, a very nice ass.

The soft gentle beeping started up again, reminding Akaashi of exactly why he’d woken up this early. He rolled out of bed and quickly got ready, glancing over at the bed to see Kenma’s golden eyes awake and watching him. 

“They need to get going soon,” Akaashi murmured, gesturing at Bokuto. “I’ll make sure everyone else is getting ready.”

Kenma nodded, moving up to softly whisper in Bokuto’s ear as Akaashi left and went to check on their guests.

They were up and eating, Oikawa standing over Kunimi’s shoulder as he checked something on the screen in front of him.

“Good morning,” Akaashi said.

Oikawa looked up and waved, walking over with a glint of amusement in his eyes. “Morning, Aka-chan,” he said, not quailing one bit at the look Akaashi gave him for the nickname. Someone was in a good mood this morning.

Then again, Oikawa was getting to go home with his friends. 

It hit Akaashi again, that Bokuto and Kenma would be leaving. He took a breath and glanced over the others gathered around the table eating. “Everything packed up and ready to go?” He asked.

“Yep. They should be ready to leave any minute, as soon as your boy gets here. Probably want to leave pretty quick, too; sun comes up in about half an hour.”

Akaashi nodded. “Bokuto-san will be in shortly.”

“Good,” Oikawa said, humming under his breath. As Akaashi looked back, the look in the other man’s eyes softened. “We’ll be careful, I promise. Thank you again for doing this.”

“You’re welcome,” Akaashi said, not really sure what else to say. He took refuge in civility for a few moments, letting Oikawa get back to whatever he was doing and going over to say good morning to the other men. Hinata was eating with Iwaizumi and Kindaichi, which was mildly surprising. They were talking about some game - sport maybe, Akaashi couldn’t follow. Hanamaki and Matsukawa seemed to be debating the finer points of some series with Kageyama, though Kageyama looked like he wasn’t exactly thrilled about the experience. Then again, Kageyama was almost always a bit sour-faced. 

Kyoutani was sitting alone to the side. He looked up suddenly, gazed fixed on someone behind Akaashi.

Turning he saw that Bokuto and Kuroo had just walked in the door, with Kenma trailing behind. Glancing back at Kyoutani he saw his gaze follow Kenma across the room as the blond walked over to Kunimi, seemingly unaware of the attention he was getting.

Seemingly. Narrowing his eyes Akaashi thought he saw Kenma’s shoulders tense up just a tad. It could’ve been nothing though.

Akaashi glanced back over at Kyoutani, frowning slightly.

He hoped that wouldn’t be an issue.

“Akaaaahi,” Bokuto said, coming over and draping an arm around him. “You left without giving me a good morning kiss.”

The last was fortunately said in a low enough voice that not everybody heard, though Oikawa seemed to be amused as he looked over. Akaashi narrowed his eyes at their guest and shrugged out from under Bokuto’s arm. 

“We should go pack up the supplies you need from the medbay,” he said. “Make sure you’ll be alright while you’re gone.”

“Alright!”

As they turned to leave he saw Kuroo pull Kenma to the side and glance over towards Kyoutani. 

He really hoped it wouldn’t be an issue.

Still, the plan was in place, and all parties had agreed to it. 

The time alone in the medbay with Bokuto wasn’t enough. Akaashi didn’t have enough words to use to tell Bokuto the fullness of what he meant to him, even if he was fairly sure he knew. Anxiety choked him up and stole any words he did have before they had the chance to leave his throat, so he settled for just making sure he packed everything he could to help the other two stay healthy.

“We don’t need all of this, Akaashi.”

“Just take it, Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto just looked at him and nodded, pulling him close for a long hug.

It wasn’t long enough. 

When they got back to the bridge, almost everyone was ready.

“We’ll be putting out tracers that will make it look like you all are still in the city,” Kunimi said. “That way they won’t wonder why the ship isn’t leaving. It’ll also free up the rest of us who are here so that we can start looking at things closer to home.”

“Like the people who are actually behind this,” Kenma said, nodding.

The two of them really did work together well, Akaashi thought.

More words tried to form in Akaashi’s mouth then, as he watched the fall of Kenma’s hair. New words. Words he didn’t know yet. 

It wasn’t enough. It would never be enough.

Not until they were back safe and sound.

Too soon, the time came to see the first group off. He stood on the ramp and squeezed Bokuto’s hand one last time before watching him jump on the back of a bike with one of the others. Kuroo and Kenma stood near him, Oikawa a little ways off next to Kunimi and Kindaichi. 

“We’ll come back, Akaashi,” Kenma murmured, fingertips brushing against the back of Akaashi’s hand.

“I know,” he said. “I know.”

They’d better.

The sun was just barely lighting the sky. 

It was the first time he’d been voluntarily separated from Bokuto by a job in, well. He didn’t even remember how long.

Turning, he nodded. “We should probably get going. Make sure they get out without a hitch, go set everything up for the rendezvous.”

“Yeah,” Kuroo said, patting him on the back. “Let’s do it, man.”

Better to move forward than worry.

Worrying wouldn’t change anything. But he’d damn sure do the best he could to make sure things went off without a hitch.

~~~~~~~~

The room seemed clinical and cold, full of computer screens and not much light. He didn’t like the man who came over to greet them, shaking each of their hands but paying the most attention to the one who was obviously in charge.

“Good afternoon, afternoon gentlemen. So happy you got here safely, I hope the flight was alright? We finally caught a break, if you want to come see.”

The man seemed slippery, tricky somehow. Obsequious. That was the word.

He knew men like that. Men who would smile to the public and cut you down in private.

Then again, he didn’t pick the jobs.

The man waved them over to a screen, tapping a few controls so that a video stream popped up and started to play.

“We received word yesterday that one of their members had been kidnapped. This morning, we intercepted a message suggesting an exchange - that member for one of the Seijou gang that the four had captured.”

He looked up at his leader, watching him frown and open his mouth to speak. “They captured someone and didn’t bring them back for interrogation?”

“Interesting, is it not? Perhaps they were handling the matter in-house. In any event, this is what transpired at the arranged meeting place.”

The man started the video.

There was a ship in an open area. It looked like it was near the outskirts of the city. Near the edge of the area sat a dark armored vehicle.

A the back door of the vehicle opened and a man with spiked black and grey hair was pushed out. Another man followed him holding a gun to his head. Then the front door opened and a man with blond hair stepped out, yelling something at the ship.

“That’s their member who was kidnapped?”

“Yes. One Bokuto Koutarou, from what we gather. Long time Fukurodani employee.”

“I see.”

The video angle changed to show the ramp of the ship descending. Two men with dark hair stood back while a short man, blond with dark, roots pushed another man forward. He was holding a gun on him as well.

“The person they captured is?”

“Oikawa Tooru,” the man replied, zeroing in on his face. “Leader of the Seijou gang, and our priority target.”

“And the others?”

“The blond is named Kozume Kenma. Alephian, just got here a few days ago. This one,” the man said, bringing up a closeup of the taller man in back, “is Kuroo Tetsurou. Also Alephian, Kozume’s partner. I’ve run into him before, he’s... sly.”

The man calling anyone else sly seemed a bit hypocritical.

“This other one is Akaashi Keiji, Bokuto’s longtime partner.”

“I see.”

The video started up again. Kozume walked Oikawa over closer to the car, and stopped a few feet away from the vehicle, gesturing with his gun. Bokuto started walking forward, limping. Seemed like a fairly normal exchange of hostages.

It was hard to see what happened from the angle of the video, but it looked like Oikawa had turned and tried to wrestle the gun away from Kozume. Bokuto was yelling. The blond from the car darted forward and clocked Kozume in the side of the head, tossing the gun at Oikawa and punching the blond again for good measure. Bokuto was struggling with the man who held him. Oikawa held the gun up, wiping a bloody lip and shouting something at the two men by the ship.

It looked like Akaashi was having to hold Kuroo back from chasing out after them, but they stayed where they were as Bokuto and Kenma were dragged back into the vehicle. Oikawa said something else and waved with a smile before jumping in himself, and the vehicle drove away.

“That’s all we have,” the man said. “The other two went back in their ship and tried to follow, but the vehicle was soon lost in the maze of streets in that area. They probably dumped it and got another one, who knows. It’s not a nice neighborhood over there. 

“So they lost their prisoner and two of their members? Seems rather foolish. No wonder we’ve been called in to help.”

“Ah yes, about that. You realize we’re on a separate contract, correct? I mean, of course if we can rescue them we will, but our first priority is the target.”

His leader nodded slowly, looking down at the slimy little man. “Yes,” he said. “I understand.”

“But I suppose finding the poor little Alephian and his friend would help get us closer to our goal, if that interests you.”

“It does. We have our own Alephian on our team, he might have some insight.”

“Oh?”

His leader turned to look at him and beckoned him forward. “What do you think, Tendou?”

Stepping closer to the screen, Tendou said, “Can we watch the end again?”

“Sure.”

Tendou took the scene in again, pausing it at key moments. When he was done he tilted his head thoughtfully and looked back at his leader. “It’s interesting, Ushijima,” he said. “It’s almost too clean. Something about it feels off - though Kozume certainly did seem surprised at being attacked.”

Ushijima nodded slowly. “It is troubling.”

The man spoke up. “Well, Kuroo can be a tricky one, as I said before.”

Tendou looked back at Ushijima then took in the scene again, rolling back to the view of the men in the ship.

“Well either way,” Ushijima said, “We will get the job done.”

“Excellent. Look forward to working with you,” the man said, turning to look at Tendou. “If you don’t mind me asking, what kind of Alephian are you?”

“Anakris,” Tendou replied.

“Oh? I thought most of your kind were pilots. People who can handle the jump are in rather high demand, from what I know.”

Tendou shrugged. “Just not for me, I guess.” He was used to the question from strangers. Still didn’t like it.

“I see, I see.” 

“Would you mind sending us this footage? I’d like to look at it in further detail,” Tendou said.

“Yes, yes, of course,” the man said, patting him on the back.

“Thanks.”

Tendou normally didn’t mind people touching him, but something about this man just put his teeth on edge. He said as much to Ushijima as they left. 

“I agree,” Ushijima said. “It is troubling. But they are a group of snakes, after all, and we eagles aren’t known to like snakes very much.”

Tendou nodded, mind already working on the possibilities of the case.

“We have had to collaborate with other strange people to get a job done before. It is no concern. The client hired us to do a job, and we will get it done. Anyone who thinks they can stand against us would be foolish to try.”

“Yep,” Tendou said, grinning from ear to ear. “We always take care of business, alright.”

“Indeed.”

This job might be a bit more interesting than normal, but in the end, it wouldn’t matter.

Oikawa Tooru would be theirs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anything in that last bit was unclear, please let me know - trying out something. Thanks!


	20. Branching Paths

“You didn’t have to hit him so hard!” Bokuto said.

He was sitting in the back seat of the vehicle, with Kenma in the middle and Hanamaki on the other side. Kenma was leaning against him, letting Bokuto pat his shoulder. He was fussing, he knew he was fussing, but it just made him angry. 

Kyoutani just grunted and kept driving.

Oikawa looked back from the front passenger seat. “I’m sure he just wanted it to look realistic,” he said, a note of apology in his voice. “You are ok, right?”

Kenma was silent. For a moment Bokuto was worried that he’d been actually injured, and turned the blond’s head his way so that he could look in his eyes. There was a bruise starting to bloom over his left eye and another on his jaw. Kenma didn’t look like he was in pain though, he just looked bored. Maybe a little bit annoyed.

Kenma would be fine. Bokuto knew he’d be fine. Still, one of the last things that Kuroo had said to him was to take care of Kenma, and he’d already failed. He could feel the worry and anxiety rising up in him. This was his plan, and it had started out all wrong. He let one hand slide down to his lap and looked at it, wondering why he’d ever thought this could possibly be a good idea.

A small hand reached over and slipped into his palm, squeezing.

Bokuto squeezed back weakly.

Another squeeze, harder this time, made him look over at Kenma. Kenma with big golden eyes, calm and steady. Bokuto stared at him and remembered to breathe, timing his breaths to the pulses of Kenma’s fingers in his hand. Slowly, ever so slowly, the panic started to ebb away.

They were together. Even in the midst of strangers, they were together. Kenma would be fine. The only reason he’d been injured was because he was playing a part. 

Bokuto felt like Kyoutani had taken advantage of that for some reason, but still.

Kenma would be fine.

Bokuto nodded, and Kenma turned to rest his back against the seat, letting go of Bokuto’s hand and pulling out his handheld. Glancing over Bokuto saw Hanamaki watching them. 

Well, let him watch. 

Bokuto looked out the window, hand sliding over to rest on Kenma’s thigh. Kenma didn’t move it away. The buildings they were passing were old, some abandoned - or almost abandoned. Bokuto could see traces of people in smoke rising up from alleys and skurrying shadows against dirty walls. Colors had been splashed in random disarray against cracks and peeling paint. Bokuto had walked these streets before. He’d fought in jungles, stared down women who thought they had the right to traffic people just because they could. He was tough. He and Akaashi had been nigh unbeatable. Having Kenma and Kuroo on their team only made everything stronger. 

They’d get through this.

No.

He smirked, lips pulling tight.

They’d do more than get through this. They’d annihilate the opposition. Bastards who thought they could play with the lives of children? Who wanted to use Bokuto and his team to silence the people fighting against them?

Hah.

He couldn’t wait till they got what was coming to them.

For justice. 

When they got back to the others, Hinata jumped up from where he’d been talking with Iwaizumi. 

“Kenma!” He said, rushing over.

“Hey, Shouyou,” Kenma replied, pulling back as Hinata reached up to feel his face.

“Who did this to you?” Hinata asked. “Are you ok? Did something happen?”

“I’m fine.”

Iwaizumi frowned, glancing at Oikawa sharply then at Kyoutani when Oikawa gestured to him. 

Hanamaki walked over to Matsukawa, whispering to him before saying, “I bet Yahaba will be happy to see us.”

“I don't know,” Matsukawa said. “He might be a little annoyed. You know how he gets when his seniors get embarrassed by someone.”

Kyoutani turned to listen to them, face blank.

“True. Well, I’m sure it won’t be a big deal. Oikawa said that he was just trying make it seem realistic.”

Iwaizumi gave Oikawa a glare at that.

"Well," Mastukawa said, "I'm sure that Yahaba will see it that way too. Right Kyoutani?"

Strangely enough, Kyoutani seemed to be looking a bit pale.

Sighing, Iwaizumi looked over at Kyoutani. “This stops here. Got it?”

Kyoutani nodded, meekly, and Iwaizumi stepped over to Bokuto and Kenma. “Sorry about this.”

Kenma just shrugged and nodded, walking away with Hinata.

Bokuto eyed the healing bruises on Iwaizumi’s face. “Eh, sometimes bumps and bruises are part of getting to know each other,” he said. He wanted to say that Kenma could’ve kicked Kyoutani’s ass, but he didn’t. “So we’re going to use the bikes to travel?”

“A few of us, yeah,” Iwaizumi replied. “I figure you, me, Hanamaki and Matsukawa can switch out on bikes and scouting ahead. We can stay in touch in case there’s trouble. Once in awhile people turn hungry out here and group up, things can get a bit dicey. The corporation doesn’t really patrol outside the major inhabited areas.”

“Yeah,” Bokuto said. Locals were given autonomy to police themselves out here - at least, that was the company line. Bokuto was starting to get the feeling that the locals might view the situation just a little bit differently.

“Oikawa, Hinata, Kyoutani and Kozume can ride in the truck. Cargo gets transported out here fairly regularly even with the bandits, so it won’t look out of place. There’s space for the bikes in the back, so we can rest up if we need to. I’d like to get to the others as soon as possible.”

“Sounds good to me,” Bokuto said. “What kinda terrain will we be going through?”

“Some jungle like this, to begin with. There’s a plateau a couple of miles out that we’ll be going up, it gets more rocky there. There’s a settlement there, but we’ll probably need to go around it. No use being memorable to the locals. From there on in there’s a lot of flat dry grassland, and then forest. Yahaba said they were stopped at a settlement near the base of the mountains. It should take us about ten hours to get there, if nothing happens. There’s a couple small places on the way where we can stop for gas.”

“Alright, you and me first?” Bokuto asked, looking at Iwaizumi before starting to walk over to Kenma. Hinata had been pulled aside by Hanamaki, so the blond was alone messing with his handheld. 

Iwaizumi looked surprised, but nodded. “Sure. Just let me know when you want to switch out with the others.”

“We’ll be fine. I slept well last night, so I’m probably good for a few hours.”

Kenma glanced up at him, raising an eyebrow.

“Well,” Bokuto amended, “maybe a couple of hours.”

Iwaizumi chuckled. “Sounds good. I’ll let everyone else know we’re ready to go.”

Bokuto nodded, crouching down next to Kenma and ignoring the slight twinge of pain in his thigh. “You gonna be ok riding in the truck with Kyoutani?”

“Of course,” Kenma said, glancing over at him. “I’m fine. You, on the other hand, need to not push it. Akaashi said to tell you you’ll be useless if you don’t take care of yourself.”

Pouting, Bokuto said, “That’s mean. Of both of you, Kenma, why would you talk that way to me.”

Kenma just shrugged and turned back to the handheld. “I contacted them, by the way. Let them know we got out of the city ok.”

“Good, good. How are things looking on their end?”

Kenma pursed his lips. “They’re fine.”

Bokuto nodded, distracted by the sight of that mouth. That mouth, only a few hours before, was - wow.

And now that mouth was curving up in just the hint of a smile. 

“Ah,” Bokuto said, looking back up at Kenma’s eyes, “That’s good.”

Kenma’s shoulders shook in a silent laugh. “I’m glad you’re here with me, Bo,” he said, looking back down at his screen.

The nickname reminded Bokuto of how Kenma had used it the night before, and he sighed, pushing himself back up to stand and rubbing the top of the blond’s head. “Me too, buddy. Me too.”

If he let his thoughts go further down that road, he’d be distracted on the bike instead of paying attention to danger.

Though it might distract him anyways, during long stretches of solitude on the road with nothing to do but talk to Iwaizumi. The guy didn’t exactly seem like much of a conversationalist. All of a sudden Bokuto really missed Kuroo.

Hopefully they’d all be together again soon.

~~~~~~~

“I can’t believe they hit him. Who does that? We’re supposed to be allies,” Kuroo said.

“We are allies, Kuroo-san,” Akaashi said, checking something on his phone.

Kuroo flushed a bit and glanced over to the two Seijou members. Kindaichi was giving him a look. Kunimi was mostly ignoring him, seeing as how Kuroo had been saying variations of the same thing off and on for the past couple of hours as they waited together in the conference room.

The ‘Kuroo-san’ was a clue that Akaashi’s patience was probably getting close to an end.

“I know, but.”

Akaashi nodded. 

Kuroo sighed. “Couldn’t he at least send us a picture? I mean, I know he says he’s alright, but what if -”

“I’ll try to see if we can get a stable enough connection for you to be able to video conference with him tonight,” Kunimi said, fingers sliding over the glass in front of him.

“Thank you,” Kuroo replied.

He felt sick. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. If Kenma had planned it and not told him, he might’ve accepted it more easily. But he knew Kenma. Knew that look of surprise. And also knew Kenma hated to get hit. 

Though he supposed most people hated to get hit.

But Kenma wasn’t most people. Kenma should be protected. Kenma was valuable. He loved him more than his own life. If he ever lost Kenma, well. He didn’t even want to think about it. Losing other people had been hard enough. 

A soft hum from Kunimi broke him out of his train of thought. “What?” He asked.

“I’m noticing some activity around that message about the hostage switch that we left as bait earlier today. Looks like they rerouted my notification bot for a few hours, but the data’s coming in now. It’s the same guys who accessed the feed of the security cameras at the switch.”

“Do you know who they are?”

Kunimi shook his head. “Not exactly. It doesn’t work that way, at least not for me. But I have some spiders tracing them back, and I know their profile now, so I can tailor searches to pick up on them earlier next time. That is, if they are who we’re looking for.”

Kuroo nodded.

“In the meantime,” Akaashi said, “let’s focus on our own mission. Investigating the Kita branch of our corporation, the ones who handle pharmaceutical development. All of our current information points to the culprit or culprits being located in that branch. All employees who are involved in the handling of controlled substances or who are associated with their distribution are required to be licensed, so I’ve asked Kageyama to see if he can get us a list of their licensed employees. I figure that will set off fewer red flags than trying to go through corporate channels. It may not be a complete list, but it’s a start.”

The door slid open and Kageyama stepped in, exchanging a look with Akaashi. “Got it,” he said. He walked over to the conference table and set his handheld down, flicking the file onto the screen in the middle of the table as the others gathered around.

“These are the names of the employees, grouped together by license type and their last reported position within the branch. Some may have moved on by now; they only have to renew their license every year.”

“So what are we looking for?” Kuroo said. The personnel were shown in small rectangles with their picture on one side and relevant personal information on the other, clustered together in like groups. Kuroo reached out, pulling one group to the center and watching all the members of that group spread out so that they were visible. He pinched them back together again and moved them to the side, looking at another. There were probably several hundred employees, from lowly lab technicians to chemists to upper management.

“Anything out of the ordinary,” Akaashi said. “Or any names that seem familiar - did Oikawa ever tell you about who he worked with?”

“Not really,” Kunimi said, adjusting his sling. 

Kindaichi gave him a worried look, then glanced back at the screen. “He did mention a few names. He was in this division here.”

Kuroo nodded, pulling it up. “See anything familiar?”

The two Seijou members looked at the names, but both shook their heads.

“Alright, well. It could be someone who knew something about that division, knew about Oikawa. Let’s see who they report to, or who handles their projects.”

Moving the group to the side fanned out the managerial division over them. His finger paused over a picture of a woman, tapping it thoughtfully to enlarge it. “Hmm.”

“Something out of the ordinary?” Kuroo asked.

“Maybe,” Akaashi said, standing upright as he examined the picture of the woman. Then he tilted his head and looked over at Kunimi. “Trying to find the culprits shouldn’t be our only objective here, if we want to find out the truth.”

“It shouldn’t?” Kindaichi asked.

Kunimi looked at Akaashi a long moment, then glanced down at the woman on the screen. “He’s right,” he said. “There’s another option as well.”

“What?” Kuroo asked.

“You still have it, right?” Kunimi asked Akaashi.

“We do,” Akaashi said. “The scan’s in the system, but the original is in the evidence locker. There may be other pieces of evidence that would help as well.”

“Oh,” Kurro said, putting the pieces together in his head. He should’ve thought of it earlier.

“What?” Kindaichi said, the excitement in his voice earning a muffled snort from Kageyama. “Oh shut up. You don’t know either.”

“He also wasn’t here to listen to Oikawa’s story,” Akaashi murmured, “though you were a bit distracted at the time.”

Kindaichi frowned, looking down, and it made Kuroo take enough pity on him to spill his theory.

“We have a friend on the inside,” Kuroo said. “Well, a potential friend. We don’t know who she - or he - is, but if we can find out, they might be able to help us put the case together. I’m assuming from the way you look at this woman you think she might be a potential candidate?”

Akaashi nodded. “If she’s anything like the woman I used to know, she’d never condone anything harming children. I can’t say for certain, of course, but it gives us someplace to start.”

“Well then,” Kuroo said. “At least we won’t be sitting around here doing nothing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cf Chapter 9 for Oikawa's discussion.


	21. On the Road

Even Oikawa had to admit that Hinata did the most incredible things with lightbots.

They were in the back of the truck. Padded benches lined the walls on either side of the interior for the first few feet, leaving space to stow the bikes and other equipment closer to the back. Kyoutani was driving, with Iwaizumi riding shotgun up front. Bokuto curled up snoozing with his head resting on Kenma's leg while the blond messed with his handheld. Oikawa sat on the opposite bench watching the show Hinata was putting on in the middle of the floor.

He'd brought a box of his bots and was all dressed up in his gear, showing then the capabilities. Oikawa had seen the shows he put on in the club, of course. Iwaizumi was a big fan of them, and they used to frequent the club pretty often back before Takeru got sick. He'd never seen them so close, though.

A butterfly flew through the air towards him and he held out a finger, marveling as it hovered in front.

"What would happen if I touched it?" he asked.

"It would fall apart," Hinata said. "It only looks like it's a cohesive unit, really it's just many tiny things working together. They aren't actually linked, though. Just flying in tight formation."

Oikawa nodded, dropping his hand back down to his lap and watching as Hinata pulled the butterfly back, colors changing wildly as it broke apart into a flutter of leaves.

"I don't know if it will come in handy," Hinata said, "but it's good for illusions."

He moved his hand, and all of a sudden it looked like there were two Hinatas standing in front of him, dancing in concert.

"it's like a decoy," Kenma said, glancing up.

"Yeah!" Hinata said, both he and his double doing a fistpump. "Its really handy on jobs. Plus I can set it off like fireworks too."

The double broke apart in a flash of light that left Oikawa blind for a couple of seconds, blinking as he tried to regain his sight.

"I can see how that might be useful," Oikawa said, rubbing his eyes.

Kenma nodded, glancing over. "If we are in the dark, and someone's using night vision goggles, it could overload the circuitry for a few seconds. Is it omnidirectional?"

"Nope," Hinata said. "just about every side of them is capable of emitting light at various wavelengths and strengths. Means what I show to you isn't necessarily what I show to Oikawa. And I can even do this."

Suddenly there was a cloud of darkness between Oikawa and Kenma, morphing into what looked like a wall.

"The strength all depends on the number of lightbots I put out there, of course, and they're fragile. Still, it's useful."

"And if someone takes you out, or distracts you?" Oikawa asked.

Hinata shrugged. "They'll be on whatever pattern I left them on." He looked down at his gloves, flexing his fists. "These do double-duty as body armor, though. They're tough enough to withstand blunt impact if I have to fight. The circuitry is on the inside of my hand, so it's not affected. Even if it does get damaged, I have a backup pair I can use."

It might get damaged. Oikawa knew this. He realized that Daichi had known as well, and had chosen to send Hinata and the very expensive equipment with him even knowing the risk. It was sobering, to know that Karasuno was willing to provide so much support.

They hadn't always been allies. The situation with Kageyama had soured things for several years. 

Kageyama had once been a member of Seijou, back when they were younger. He and Oikawa had never really gotten along. Back then the focus of the group was the video game tournaments they played. Oikawa wasn't a natural at them, but he'd studied and watched and learned all the strategy to where he could direct and support all of his teammates.

Then Kageyama came along.

In the beginning he hadn't had a clue. It only took a few practices for his talent to start shining through, though. Everything that Oikawa had spent weeks and months perfecting, Kageyama seemed to pick up in days. Everything but how to have a strong relationship with his teammates. He was impatient, always pushed too hard - but he was good.

Too good.

The rest of the team couldn't keep up.

Oikawa couldn't keep up.

At that point in his life, his success as a team leader had been everything to him. Everything he had poured himself into, to the point where he was lucky sometimes that his teachers liked watching the matches. That had changed as classes got more serious, of course, but back when he and Kageyama were on the same team, gaming was his life.

Gaming was the one place where he could feel confident. Everything else was confusing - family, school, even Iwaizumi sometimes. Gaming had been his oasis of calm in the midst of chaos, and Kageyama had turned everything on its axis.

At one point, Oikawa had almost snapped.

Iwaizumi had stopped him before he did anything drastic. He was always there, it seemed like. The one constant in his life.

Kageyama had gotten into a fight with some of the other team mates, and defected to the crows.

The next few years had been tough. Oikawa's parents split up. School got more serious. Things with Iwaizumi had turned even more confusing. Karasuno and Kageyama became heated rivals in tournament after tournament.

But it wasn't all bad.

Having his dad out of the picture hurt, but it was also a lot less stress at home. His mom was happier. She'd even ended up falling in love and moving off-planet with a guy a few years after Oikawa graduated. He might even have a little brother or sister someday.

Oikawa had learned that the skills he'd honed for the game lent themselves to some of the subjects he studied in school. One of his teachers had even remarked, "an ounce of perseverance is worth a pound of talent," and perseverance was something Oikawa had in spades.

And Iwaizumi - well.

Things with Iwaizumi were still confusing.

For a while, Oikawa had gotten around that confusion by changing the game with Kageyama. That had been disastrous. Disastrous and far, far too good in too many of the worst possible ways. And then, just, the worst, when Iwaizumi and everyone else found out what they were doing.

Things had changed since then.

They'd all grown up, at least a little. Iwaizumi and Hinata had become friends, Suga had gone into making video games instead of just playing them, most of the rest of them had started working in separate fields, Oikawa had gotten his advanced degree in chemistry and pharmacology. The teams stayed connected and supported each other, but it was about more than just a game now. It was about life.

He'd do anything for his teammates, and they'd do anything for him.

It made everything worth it. Or it had, up until everything fell apart. Except Seijou was the for him through that as well, was here for him now.

Suddenly Kyoutani shuffled out through the walkway connecting the back of the truck to the cab. "Iwaizumi's taking over driving," he said, moving to sit next to Oikawa. Bokuto's eyes snapped open at the sound of Kyoutani's voice. Immediately, Oikawa felt like the temperature of the air had dropped about ten degrees.

How troublesome.

The others probably wouldn't realize it, but Kyoutani coming back to join them was probably his way of trying to make amends. That's what Oikawa chose to think at least. No matter what had happened, Oikawa knew that the motivating factor had been Kyoutani's loyalty to the team, loyalty to Iwaizumi.

Glancing up he saw Kenma looking at him. He was so hard to read.

"Hinata," Kenma said, "You can do animals, right?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, of course. I've got a ton of animals programmed in here, some shows, some demos for games - it's always easier to construct things with the bots before importing them, for me at least. Why, what did you want?"

"Hmm," Kenma said, looking over at Oikawa and Kyoutani, "I'm not sure. What do you think, Bokuto?"

Bokuto sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Owls. Can you do owls?"

"Yeah, of course!"

A bevy of different types of owls coalesced from the random smoke that Hinata had been playing with, flying around the back of the truck.

"Oh hoho, that's amazing!" Bokuto said, eyes lit up like a child's.

Kenma just nodded.

"Do you guys want to see anything else?" Hinata asked.

Oikawa glanced over at Kyoutani. He had a look of longing on his face, but Oikawa knew he probably wouldn't speak up for himself. Not after what had happened, especially.

So Oikawa did it for him.

"Do you have any dogs?" he asked.

"Dogs? Yeah, I have a ton of them saved. Like puppies, or older dogs?"

He made models of each as he spoke, making them run and jump all over the place. Kyoutani's eyes were darting from one to the next, the hint of a smile showing up in his eyes.

Hinata noticed.

Watching his audience for a moment, the redhead pulled the animals back in and said, "You know, if you want, and I mean since we have some time to kill. I've been working on this thing. It's more of a story than a game? But some people prefer that. I'd have to narrate sometimes, and I don't have all the sound effects, but do you want to watch it? It has both owls and dogs in it."

Bokuto nodded enthusiastically, and Hinata laughed. "Ok then. So, once upon a time, there was this puppy..."

Oikawa sat and listened a few moments. Hinata moved to sit on the bench next to Kyoutani. There was no telling if the story had actually been written for dogs and owls or if it was just something that Hinata was putting in play, but either way, it was nice.

Hinata had talents of his own, after all.

After a while Oikawa slipped up into the cab, taking a seat next to Iwaizumi.

"Any trouble?" he asked.

"Nope. We're about to come out over the bluff now. Hanamaki is already up there, he said there isn't any sign of raiders for the next few miles but he's going to double back soon. Evidently the pass that rises over the top is a good place for ambushes.

Oikawa nodded. "Hopefully we won't run into any trouble."

"Yeah," Iwaizumi said, glancing over at him. "Things ok in the back?"

"Hina-chan is putting on a light show," Oikawa asid. "He has ones that tell stories now, did you know that?"

Iwaizumi laughed. "I did. He's been really excited about that new contract. It's with one of the sister companies to the video game publisher that Suga normally works with. They're dealing directly with Hinata instead of going through Suga as a team leader, too. It's really impressive."

"I'm really glad they're able to be so successful," Oikawa said. It was true, too.

It hadn't always been true, but now it was.

Iwaizumi glanced over at him, and Oikawa wondered if there was pride in that look. Maybe. Maybe not. It wasn't like Oikawa cared.

He looked out the window instead of looking at Iwaizumi, watching as they came above the treeline so that he could see out over the forest. He could barely see the city in the distance. Ships were coming down out of orbit, though, streaks of silver leaving puffy trails in the sky. A few took off. He wondered if he'd ever be on one.

Someday, maybe. Maybe someday.

"How did you and Hina-chan get to be such close friends again?" he asked, tracing stars on the window.

Iwaizumi hummed a moment, and said, "He's just a talented guy, is all."

That was an evasion, and Oikawa knew it. He glanced back over. "That's all?"

"Yeah," Iwaizumi said, not looking at him.

"Surely there's more to it than that."

Finally, he caught a look. This was a frustrated look, though Oikawa wasn't really sure where the frustration was coming from. "You know," Iwaizumi said.

"No I don't. I haven't asked you before, that I remember. What's the big deal?"

Sighing, Iwaizumi said, "Look, we got to talking that night after Nishinoya's party, alright? The one where..."

"Oh."

The one where Oikawa had gotten so drunk that he'd crawled into Kageyama's lap and started making out with him in front of everyone. The night where Kageyama hadn't pushed him away, where he'd been happy, actually happy, that Oikawa was acknowledging their relationship in front of everyone else.

The night before he'd broken Kageyama's heart.

That party.

Oikawa curled up in his seat a little, frowning at his hands in his lap. Every time he thought they were over it, they weren't. It wasn't like he and Iwaizumi had been dating, or anything even close to dating. Wasn't like they were now. Everything was just so complicated between them.

He wanted to apologize. Swallowed back the words - again - because there was nothing he needed to say sorry for, even if it felt like he should.

"Look," Iwaizumi said, "it's in the past, right?"

"RIght," Oikawa said.

And he was much more interested in the future than the past. As much as Kageyama still affected him sometimes, he didn't want Kageyama in his future, and Kageyama didn't want to be in his. Oikawa wanted Iwaizumi in his future. Even if he wasn't sure exactly what that future would look like, he knew he wanted Iwaizumi there.

"Well," Oikawa said, sighing, "however it started, I'm glad you and the shorty have - who are they?"

They'd rounded the corner into the pass. Three figures stood in the middle of the road. It looked like they were armed. Oikawa immediately woke the screen in front of him, starting up the sensors.

"Tax collectors, looks like," Iwaizumi said, stopping the truck and speaking into the intercom. "We've got some trouble up here. Go ahead and get ready, I'll let you know if it's actually going to be a problem."

He then looked over at Oikawa.

"Their weapons seem pretty outdated," Oikawa said, flipping through the specs their sensors threw out onto the screen. "Four - no six up top of the ridge. We might just be able to blow right past them, the truck is armored. Or - oh."

"What?"

"Or they could've rigged the end of the pass to detonate if we try to do that."

"Great," Iwaizumi said. "So the question is, who holds the trigger - if it's a deadman's switch on one of those three, or one of the people up on the bluff. We might have to try and talk our way out of this."

"Because talking is exactly what these people respond to," Oikawa said, sighing. "We don't have anything to give them, either. We can't give up the bikes."

"True," Iwaizumi said, sighing and stretching behind himself to grab a gun. "Well, we start out soft and work our way up, alright?"

"Alright -"

A shot rang out, hitting the dirt right in front of the group on the road. They reacted immediately, yelling and diving for cover.

"Or that," Iwaizumi said.

Shit.


	22. When History Catches Up To You

Akaashi looked up as Kageyama stormed onto the bridge. “You alright?” He asked.

“Why am I even here?” He asked, frustration evident in his voice.

Raising an eyebrow Akaashi watched him thoughtfully.

“I mean - fuck,” Kageyama said, covering his face with his hands. “Sorry, I just.”

“What happened?” Akaashi asked, motioning to the chair next to him.

“Kindaichi and Kunimi, we just,” Kageyama said, walking over and plopping down in the chair.

“Don’t get along?”

“You could say that, yeah.”

Akaashi nodded. That much had been obvious. He frowned, watching as Kageyama stared listlessly at the console in front of him. Akaashi didn’t know Kageyama well. He was Tsukishima’s partner, Tsukishima’s friend. Up until this case, Akaashi had thought Kageyama was exceedingly professional.

Now, it was like he’d reverted to being a teenager.

He wanted to ask if this was going to be a problem. That would be insensitive though, and obviously, it was already causing a problem. He didn’t know the history between Kageyama and the Seijou group, didn’t particularly want to know, but it was hurting the dynamics of the people working on the case.

“Do you want to talk about it?” Akaashi finally asked.

Kageyama looked at him with wide eyes, and for a second Akaashi was afraid he was going to say yes.

“That’s ok,” Kageyama finally said, looking away.

Akaashi gave an internal sigh of relief.

“I mean,” Kageyama said, then shook his head. “No. Sorry. Do you know how the other group is doing?”

There was a touch of worry in his voice that Akaashi hadn’t been expecting, but then he remembered Bokuto saying that Kageyama was good friends with Hinata. Bokuto was actually pretty convinced they were more than just friends, but Akaashi wasn’t really fond of gossip.

“I think they’re fine,” Akaashi said. “From what I gather, no one suspects that they’re out of the city yet. That could change at any time, but they’re hoping to get as far out as possible before people start going after them. But I’m sure they’ll be fine. Both Bokuto and Kenma are accomplished fighters.”

“Hinata is good too. I mean, I know he’s small, and he’s an idiot, but he can do the most amazing things,” Kageyama said, a note of wistfulness in his voice.

Akaashi glanced over. Kageyama looked relaxed and almost happy. It was a drastic change from how he’d looked entering the room. Akaashi didn’t know Kageyama’s history, but it was obvious that whatever had happened in the past he was in a better place now.

“Then I’m sure they’ll be fine,” Akaashi said, willing himself to really believe it.

Kageyama nodded. “So where are we on our end?” he asked.

“Well, Kunimi is still running a search but said that closer surveillance might help. Evidently, there's some sort of barrier that’s hard to get past remotely? But he said he has a couple of devices that could help. One we can just attach near the wires of the building itself. That’s not the best option, but it is something. There’s a second one that might work if we could get someone to carry it into the building.”

“It just has to be physically present? They don’t have to do anything with it?”

Akaashi nodded. “That’s what I understand. They might have defenses for both of those things, but it’s worth a shot.”

“As long as they can’t be traced back to Seijou. Or us.”

“Though being traced back to us would be better, we could always say it was related to our investigation.”

“True,” Kageyama said. “Especially since, technically speaking, it is.”

“Also true.”

Kageyama chuckled. “So who’s going to go out there?”

“Kuroo will. I would send Daichi out with him, but he’s still out on business.”

“Probably will be for a while,” Kageyama said.

“Then I think you’re probably the best option.”

“Me?” Kageyama said. “Oh, well, yeah. I guess so. To tell you the truth, it’ll be nice to have some fresh air.”

Akaashi nodded. He figured that might be the case. “Kuroo should be back with what you need any minute now. Kunimi gave him a shopping list.”

Kageyama nodded.

“Are you going to be ok with this? With being here?” He asked.

“Yeah,” Kageyama said, “I’ll be fine. I mean, everyone makes mistakes, right? Sometimes out of ignorance, sometimes out of selfishness. I can’t change the past, but it doesn’t mean certain people aren’t important to me. Will always be important to me.”

He frowned down at his hands as he said that.

Akaashi nodded. He felt lucky, in that moment, that he had Bokuto. So lucky. They might’ve taken forever to get together romantically, but they’d been best friends since almost the first day they met, and nothing had ever seriously threatened that friendship.

The door opened and Kunimi came in, followed by Kuroo. Akaashi didn’t miss the flash of guilt in Kageyama’s eyes as he watched Kunimi.

People were important. Mistakes. It made a whole host of things make sense, especially when Kindaichi came into the room in a rush, bringing a bottle of water to Kunimi and giving Kageyama a distrustful look.

Kunimi barely seemed to notice either of them, but Akaashi knew very well what it was like to show a mask to the world.

“I got the things,” Kuroo said, hefting a sack.

“It’ll just take a second for me to calibrate everything, and then they should be good to go,” Kunimi said.

“Kageyama will be going with you, Kuroo.”

“Sounds good.”

Kunimi glanced over, but quickly turned back, asking Kindaichi to help him get everything laid out.

“So,” Kuroo asked, “What if we by chance happen to run into your friend - what was her name, Kaori? Do you want me to try and make contact with her?”

“Only if you can do it without making it seem like you’re singling her out.,” Akaashi answered.

“She’s a pretty girl. I’ve been known to flirt with pretty girls.”

Akaashi frowned, unused to the surge of jealousy he suddenly felt.

Whatever was showing on his face evidently amused Kuroo, because he said, “Flirt, Akaashi. That’s all. Don’t get worried.”

Huffing Akaashi looked to the side where Kageyama was very studiously ignoring both of them. He wasn’t sure how much Kageyama knew or guessed about Tsukishima’s private life, but it was still a bit mortifying to Akaashi. He would much rather his personal life stay personal and his professional life stay professional. Anything else invited too much drama.

“I mean it,” Kuroo said, squeezing his shoulder.

Akaashi looked up and saw the concern on Kuroo’s face. He nodded, thinking about what he was feeling. Something about their involvement with Kuroo and Kenma felt different than their occasional trysts with Tsukishima. Akaashi had never had any problem sharing before. It was one of the beautiful things about his relationship with Bokuto. Now though, he felt possessive of all three, and it worried him.

Kuroo tilted his head to the side, eyes seeing everything far too clearly. “We’ll talk about it later.”

Nodding, Akaashi just said, “If you do see her, see if you can ask her if she likes owls.”

“Owls?”

“It was the mascot of the group we were in at the academy. Kaori was a little younger than us, but she was good friends with Yukie. In fact, they might still be friends.” Akaashi thought that over. “I don’t want to involve Yukie in this though, not yet.”

“Yukie is?”

“Our boss’s secretary. She was in the same year as Bokuto.”

“”I see. Well, if they are still friends, it might be good cover if we need to extract Kaori.”

“True. Hopefully, it won’t come to that.”

“Never hurts to be prepared.”

Akaashi nodded and glanced over to Kunimi, who looked his way.

“Done,” Kunimi said. “Just be careful with them. They should pass most scans; most people aren’t nearly as careful about hardware as they should be.”

“I know the feeling,” Kuroo said, and for a moment there was something in his eyes that Akaashi couldn’t read. “Ah, well. This time it’ll be to our benefit, right?”

“Hopefully,” Kageyama said.

“Be careful,” Akaashi said. “The last thing we want to do is get caught doing this.”

“We’ll do our best,” Kuroo said.

“Wear the earbuds so we can keep track of you, alright?”

“Of course. No more going out alone, no more going out without a tracker. Too many unknowns.”

“Well, hopefully,” Kageyama said, going over and taking the bag from a reluctant Kindaichi, ”today we’ll be one of them.”

~~~~~~~~~~

It was amazing how different the city looked near the offices of Fukurodani’s Kita branch. There was an actual park in front of their building, for one - with actual trees, and grass, and a little pond. The sidewalks were bright gray, so clean Kuroo wondered if they were washed each night. When people walked there could be actual space between them.

Almost everyone looked model-perfect, too. He was glad that Akaashi had talked him into wearing a suit and tie. It felt a bit antiquated, but it meant he fit right in.

“Any sign of her?” Kageyama’s voice said in his ear.

“Not yet,” Kuroo said.

He was sitting on the patio of a coffee shop across the street from the main office branch. Kageyama was keeping his distance, monitoring the situation from a nearby roof. He’d already planted the first bug on the outside of Kita’s headquarters, now they were just looking for the best person to carry the second bug inside.

Kuroo also wanted to see if they could make contact with Kaori. Kunimi had confirmed that the bottle sent to Oikawa could have easily come from her and that she’d been someone who’d known him when he worked at Kita. They still weren’t sure about the leaked communication, but Kunimi was relatively sure she would’ve had access to that as well. It concerned him a bit. It was possible no one on the inside of Kita knew that they had a mole, but Kuroo didn’t think it was safe to count on that. If it was Kaori she probably knew exactly what she was getting herself into, but that didn’t mean she knew how to get herself out.

Of course, it could’ve been someone else entirely.

Just then, he saw a girl matching her description cross the street and start down the sidewalk towards the coffee shop. He was about to say something to Kageyama when he felt a cold chill run down his spine.

“Well well,” said a voice he’d hoped he'd never have to hear again, “Fancy meeting you here.”

Turning around, Kuroo looked up into the face of the man who’d spoken. “Indeed. Daishou. What are you doing all the way out here? I thought you’d still be all snuggled up in your cushy job on Zaguri with Shika-chan and her father’s company. Or did that fall through?”

There was a flash of anger on the other man’s face that let Kuroo know he’d scored a point. He knew very well that things had fallen through there for Daishou. It was one of the last things he’d managed to make happen before he went underground with Kenma.

Collecting himself Daishou sighed, taking the seat across from Kuroo. “What happened to us, Kuroo? We used to be such good friends.”

Kuroo didn’t remember a time when they’d ever really been friends. Kuroo was constantly trying to blot out the times they’d ever been anything more than enemies. “I think you know,” he said.

Daishou frowned, looking away. “They do say all's fair in love and war,” he said, then looked straight at Kuroo. “And it wasn’t personal. Just business.”

Narrowing his eyes Kuroo said, “Just business?”

“We’re mercenaries after all, aren’t we? Your squad knew that when they signed up.”

“Even mercenaries don’t -”

“I told you not to trust me.”

He had. Kuroo remembered he’d said that soon after they met, drinking together in the same bar. It had been an offhand remark. Kuroo hadn’t realized exactly how serious he’d been until it was much too late.

“How is Kenma-chan doing, by the way?” Daishou said. “I was glad to hear he made a good recovery, is he still with you? I still remember how we talked about him, the things we said we could do with him. Do you remember? It always made you so much hotter when I’d say -”

Kuroo curled his fingers around the edge of the table, wishing he could throw it in the other man’s face. “You don’t get to talk about him.”

“Did he ever forgive you? I assume he has. I assume you also told him I stole the information from you.”

“You did steal it.”

Daishou shrugged. “Maybe. But you made it easy.” His eyes narrowed, lips curling up in a grin. “Did you tell him why you were so exhausted that I got access to your phone, though? I bet explaining those details must’ve been pretty interesting.”

Gritting his teeth Kuroo refused to answer. He remembered everything about that night, even though he wished he could bleach it from his mind.

It was one of the few secrets he still kept from Kenma.

It was just too hard to admit that in the end, everything had been his fault, even if Kenma would forgive him no matter what. Because of that moment of weakness, because of this man, they’d lost far too much. People lost in an ambush that should’ve never happened. Reputations lost, both as individuals and as a squad. Trust forever shattered.

Friends gone.

“So why are you here?” Kuroo finally asked. “I assume it’s not merely to gloat over a victory that ended up costing both of us just about everything.”

Daishou frowned. “At least I still have my team,” he said, voice cold. “And no. I’m just sightseeing, and happened to see an old friend.”

Sightseeing. Right. He’d have to get Akaashi to look into this if Kageyama hadn’t contacted him already.

“What about you?” Daishou asked. “What bring you to this fine establishment?”

“Good coffee,” Kuroo quipped, lifting his cup and holding eye contact with Daishou. He could see Kaori moving through the line out of the corner of his eye. There was no way he’d be able to make contact with her with Daishou in the vicinity - even casual contact might cause him to red-flag her if he was on the job. And Kuroo was pretty sure that the snake across from him was on some sort of job.

“Is it really?” Daishou said. “Well, I’ll have to get me a cup, if it’s enough motivation to get you to come out here.”

Kuroo just nodded, looking back over at the park across the street. “Whatever makes you happy,” he said.

“What makes you happy these days, Kuroo?” Daishou asked.

Looking back at him, Kuroo noticed the spark of hate in Daishou’s eyes that matched his own. Whatever used to be between them, it had long ago crossed over the line from business to personal. “I can tell you one thing that would make me happier.”

Daishou chuckled, smile not reaching his eyes. “Well, let me brighten your day a bit then,” he said, standing up and pushing in the chair. “Though I appreciate the good conversation. Maybe we’ll see each other again soon.”

“Perhaps we will.”

It was the last thing Kuroo wanted or needed, they probably would.

Daishou waved and turned away, walking towards the entrance and speaking politely to several people as he passed by. Always knew how to work a crowd, that one. Snake in the grass, always putting his best face forward with the knife in his hand ready to stab you in the back.

It worried him, though he hoped that worry didn’t show on his face. If Daishou and his team were around, well.

All of a sudden he missed Nekoma something fierce. He missed his team. He wondered if they still hated him for what they thought he’d done. The ones that were still alive, anyways.

He really really hated that man.

Finishing his coffee he stood and walked towards the front of the coffee shop, stopping by a table full of women with Kita badges. “Excuse me ladies, do you happen to know of a good flower shop around here? I need to get a bouquet for my girlfriend, and I feel like people always know the best places, don’t you?”

They laughed and were helpful. He even told them a few stories about his girlfriend, carefully slipping the bug into one of their bags. That should take care of that. Hopefully, Daishou wouldn’t target any of them, but at least if he did there’d be nothing to find.

Smiling he said his goodbyes and started down the street.

“Delivered the package,” he said, knowing that Kageyama would pick it up. “I’m going to go down to the flower shop and get something, then double back around to meet up with you. Sound good.”

“Yes,” Kageyama said.

Kuroo wondered how much of his conversation with Daishou Kageyama had been able to pick up. Hopefully none.

He supposed he should be glad that it wasn’t broadcast back to Akaashi.

Even more glad that Kenma hadn’t been on the other end of the line.

Kenma - fuck.

It looked like some secrets weren’t meant to be buried forever after all.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Two men disembarked from a ship at the central Aoba spaceport.

“Finally!” the taller one said. “That flight took forever.”

“It could’ve been worse,” said the shorter one. “We could’ve been stuck on one of the slow cruisers instead of finding a flight with a jumper. Then it would’ve taken days instead of hours.”

“I know, but you wouldn’t let that happen, would you?”

“Probably not.”

They had wanted to get here as soon as possible, after all.

“Do you really think they’re here?” the taller one asked.

“Yes. I hope so.”

“Finally,” the taller one said, pulling a photo frame out of his pocket and tapping the glass, lips curling into a feline grin. “We found you,” he murmured.

The shorter one huffed. “Let's not get ahead of ourselves. Still have to track them down.”

“And then?”

“And then,” said the shorter one, voice hardening, “then it’ll be worth the wait.”


	23. On the Road Again

“We've got some trouble up here. Go ahead and get ready, I'll let you know if it's actually going to be a problem."

Kenma looked up at the speakers in the back of the truck, then over at Bokuto. Hinata immediately shut down his show, lightbots flying into the case at his feet. Kyoutani was standing, moving to the back so that he could get suited up.

“I’ll go check,” Kenma said. He picked up his handheld and ducked in through the doorway that separated the cab from the back of the truck, standing between the two seats. 

“I told you we’d let you know if it was actually going to be a problem,” Iwaizumi said, voice calm. He was staring out the window, glancing every now and then at something in the all-around display.. 

Kenma ducked down so he could see as well. “Is that -”

“Yes. That’s Matsukawa,” Iwaizumi replied.

“What in the world does he think he’s doing,” Oikawa said, scooting over so that Kenma could sit on the edge of his seat. It was a kindness Kenma hadn’t expected and normally wouldn’t want, but at the moment he wasn’t going to quibble.

Matsukawa was walking up beside the truck, gun in hand. 

“Now, I realize,” Matsukawa was saying, “that you all are probably just hungry, right? Thinking that trying to jack a truck isn’t too bad as a last resort. Take some of what we’ve got. I’m sure that sounds like a pretty good idea when you’re starving.”

“He’s going to get himself killed,” Oikawa said, hand inching toward the door handle.

“Don’t you dare, Shittykawa.”

A shot rang out, followed by a short cry of pain, and Kenma jumped. 

“But let me tell you, friends, that the idea of trying to rob this here truck is protected. And if one of you tries to shoot me again, my partner will do more than just graze you. He’s already got one of your friends on lockdown, too, and has a clear bead on most of the rest of you.”

“You’re bluffing,” one of the men in front of them cried out.

“Am i?” Matsukawa said, smile visible through his visor. “Well, if you want to gamble with your lives that’s up to you. Guess you’re good to go, Makki. Cream puffs first.”

“What?” yelled another voice, then a few cries of distress echoed in the rocky walls of the pass. 

“No wait! Wait! Ok!”

The shooting stopped.

Iwaizumi reached over and flipped a switch. “Matsukawa, ask them about the detonator.”

“Hmm?” Matsukawa said, voice echoing in the cabin of the truck.

Oikawa spoke up. “There are explosives rigged in the mouth of the pass up ahead. One of them probably has a switch. Make sure we can get through without them going off.”

Kenma looked over at the console in front of Oikawa, watching curiously as he pointed out where the truck’s scanners detected the explosives. That was interesting. Then something else caught Kenma’s eye, and he reached over, hesitating a moment before Oikawa nodded. He enlarged the results of the equipment scan and sucked in a breath, looking down at his handheld. 

“Those helmets - they have a built in scanner that uses off-site processing power. It sends data to the network.”

“That’s a bad thing, isn’t it?” Oikawa asked.

“It could be,” Kenma said, It was a long shot. The data was encrypted, and there were probably a thousand of these helmets out there - but still. If someone could break the encryption, and knew where to look, it could be a very bad thing.

Kenma searched for local signals and did what he could to stop their transmission. It was probably useless. Whatever data had already been sent up was still out there, waiting to be plucked clean. Still, maybe they’d be lucky and no one would put the clues together.

Outside the truck, Matsukawa had gone over to the leader of the group and was discussing terms with him. 

“Alright,” Matsukawa said over the speakers, “He’s gonna walk us through the pass to make sure his people don’t blow the explosives. That sound alright to you?” He was waving at them with one arm around the poor guy’s shoulders

“Where’d his bike go?” Oikawa asked.

“Back behind the truck, there,” Iwaizumi said. “We can send Kyoutani out to get it.”

Oikawa nodded, and Iwaizumi called back to give Kyoutani the order.

“Alright,” Iwaizumi said to Matsukawa, “Just be safe. I doubt Hanamaki will have a clear line of fire while we’re going through the mouth of the pass.”

“Trust me,” Matsukawa said, “I’m sure everything will be just fine, won’t it friend?”

The man nodded, and Kenma could hear bits and pieces of his assurances through the open connection. 

He wondered how often they pulled this kind of stunt.

He wondered if they had families at home to feed, or if they were just ruthless vagabonds. 

Though he supposed they could be both.

He felt the truck start back up, slowly inching its way forward. The faces of the people outside were sullen and gaunt. If they did have children, they were probably starving. How a government could let its people starve - how the Fukurodani corporation could claim to be managers - ah well.

It wasn’t his business. 

They made it through the mouth of the pass and out onto the flat steppes beyond. It was a boring landscape and the worst was over, so Kenma went back in the back to watch as Matsukawa, Hanamaki, and Kyoutani loaded the bikes and came inside.

“Just for a while,” Iwaizumi said over the intercom. “I just wanna speed up for a while, and no one’s going to ambush us on the flats. Besides, this’ll save gas.”

No one seemed to mind.

Kenma curled up between Bokuto and the wall, looking to see if he could trace back the data that the raiders had sent up so that he could erase it before it fell into the wrong hands. 

“Worried?” Bokuto murmured, reaching out to pat his leg.

Kenma pulled back, not thinking, then frowned as he glanced up into Bokuto’s eyes. He felt vaguely guilty at the surprise on the other man’s face, then glanced around at the men who were engaged in boisterous conversation near them. Kuroo would’ve understood. Kuroo would’ve known that this was getting to be too much, that there were times Kenma didn’t want to be touched, especially when he was so caught up in a problem.

“Just need to focus,” Kenma finally said, feeling lame. It did the trick though. Bokuto’s self-conscious look changed to a nod of understanding, and he put his hands in his lap. 

It made Kenma’s heart warm a second, and he felt the hint of a smile on his lips. Shaking his head he turned back to the data, trying to remember where he’d been.

It was when he was going back over places he’d already traced that he first noticed the ghost. It was faint, so faint that at first he thought it was just an echo of his own search. It was just a fragment too, only a few lines long. Frowning he examined it closer, examining the code.

It was his code. 

He knew his own style. What he didn’t know was why he would’ve left a fragment of himself behind like this. It was troubling, to say the least.

Then he caught wind of something much, much worse.

Eyes growing wide he worked to clean up every trace of himself in the local area. There was someone big searching in their direction. Big, and quick, and talented. Kenma abandoned his attempts to delete the data and instead tried to replicate it with a dozen random geographical locators, hoping that might confuse the search a while longer.

Internally, he cursed the fact that he only had his handheld to work with. 

It wasn’t going to be enough, he just knew it.

~~~~~~~~~~

Goshiki was bored. He liked being out in the thick of the action, doing things. All of the action to be had right now was virtual. Consoles and computers and data and other things he really didn’t have the patience with. That was Tendou’s area, and Tendou did it better than anyone so it was useless to have anyone else try. A few of the others were out scouring the city for information, but Ushijima wanted Goshiki here to help Tendou. Nevermind that Tendou didn’t actually need any help.

Hopefully he’d figure something out soon. Goshiki was getting tired of messing around. 

“Hmm,” Tendou said, leaning forward with his fingers dancing across the glass.

“What? What?” Goshiki said, catching the ball he’d been tossing in the air and leaning forward.

“I think,” Tendou replied, “think I may have found something.

“Can I see?”

The redhead nodded, splaying several things out on the screen under his fingers. “So here look - this is some data that just came in. It’s not much, but it includes some recordings and stills. Truck got stopped by some raiders on its way up to the plateau on the way out of town.”

“That doesn’t seem nice.”

“Yeah, well. Not our problem. It was guarded anyways, see here - look at the guard.”

“He’s wearing a helmet?” Goshiki asked.

“True, though you can make out some of the features. That’s not all though, I can get a rough image of the people in the cab of the truck as well - see there? Three of them.”

“Hard to make out their features.”

Tendou nodded. “The image quality sucks, and there’s some sort of refracting glaze on the windshield - but that one there on the passenger side kinda looks like our target, right? And the one next to him, can’t make out his face, but that hair looks like our kidnap victim.”

“You think? It seems kinda blurry to me.”

“Trust me.” Tendou said, lips curling into a grin. 

Goshiki grumbled a bit. “You know I do. Even if you don’t make sense.”

Laughing, Tendou said, “Well, there’s more, there’s more. I told you we had voice recordings, right? Look, here.”

He played the recording of the conversation, pausing at one point.

“Makki?” Goshiki asked. “Is there a person named Makki in their group?”

“Possibly. There’s a Hanamaki in the Seijou gang.”

“Could just be a common nickname.”

“Ah, true, but didn’t I say to trust me? See here. I pulled these up from the logs of some of the tournaments that were held in the area a few years ago, when Seijou played. These are some voice recordings of different people on the team. See, this is Hanamaki, and he’s always hanging out with these three - this one in particular. So I pulled a sample of their voices, and look.”

He showed the results. The first two weren’t a match at all, but the third...

“78%?” Goshiki asked.

“Yep.”

“You think that’s enough to go on?”

Tendou grinned. “Yep.”

Goshiki frowned, then looked over at him. “You’re going to make me go tell him, aren’t you.”

“It can be your decision. You’re the one who wants to be a leader, after all.”

Sighing, Goshiki said, “I do.” He frowned again at the screen, thinking over all the evidence that Tendou had presented. “We should do it, shouldn’t we.”

Tendou nodded.

“Ok,” Goshiki said. “Ok, I’ll go tell him. And it’s my decision.”

“Yeah! And you get all the credit if it’s successful.”

Goshiki felt a bit uncertain about the whole thing still, but he did trust Tendou’s judgement. He knew the older man wouldn’t ever lead him wrong on purpose.

They were team mates, after all.

“Thanks,” Goshiki said, standing and setting his ball down on the console in front of him. “I’ll go tell him.”

“Roger that,” Tendou said. “I’m gonna just stay here and see if there’s any more fun things i can tease out. I think I smell a rabbit, but I’m not quite sure yet.”

Goshiki chuckled at that, almost wishing mercy on whoever Tendou was after. 

They’d need it.

~~~~~~~~~~

“I love that last line, though,” Hanamaki said. “Cream puffs first. That was great.”

“Anything for you, babe,” Matsukawa replied.

“Aww, thanks sweet heart.”

“No problem schnookums.”

Bokuto felt Kenma chuckle silently and smiled, hugging the man he’d finally coaxed into his lap. Kenma was still focused on the handheld, but at least he was more relaxed now.

Kyoutani and Hinata had taken a turn out scouting on the bikes, and Oikawa and Iwaizumi were still up front driving. It took a lot of the pressure off, Bokuto thought. Hanamaki and Matsukawa didn’t push for anyone to interact. They were happy just joking - and making out - with each other. Normally Bokuto wasn’t into public displays of affection that didn’t involve someone he was involved with, but he couldn’t blame them.

However they’d pulled it off, Matsukawa had still been in a lot of danger. That much was obvious from the story they’d told. He knew from experience that the adrenaline rush after a life or death encounter lent itself well to lots of sex.

Bokuto nuzzled Kenma’s hair, glad that neither of them had been in the line of fire this time.

“Whatcha workin on?” He asked Kenma, resting his head on the other man’s shoulder.

“Just sneaking around. Cleaning up traces of where we’re at. Making sure all the signals from the truck are splintered so they can’t be pinpointed.”

“You think someone’s looking for us?”

“Mmm,” Kenma said, nodding. “They’re all over the place right now. I’m just trying to sneak past them.”

Bokuto nodded, pulling Kenma closer then letting go when a frown crossed the blond’s face. “What?”

“Not you,” Kenma said, leaning back. “There’s just these weird glitches. I’m not sure what’s causing them.”

“Glitches? You think it’s the guy?”

“No, because it’s my code - it’s just weird. I -”

Kenma went stock-still in his arms.

“What?” Bokuto asked, looking at the screen. There was a question displayed, with two buttons for answers. 

/Are you in need of assistance? Yes or No/

“What’s that?” Bokuto asked. “Is it like one of those helper bots?”

Kenma didn’t answer. He was breathing harder, and that made Bokuto worried. Slowly, Kenma shook his head. “I don’t think so,” he said, pressing the /No/ button.

A dark mass of zigzagging black and fuchsia lines started to race around the screen, and a new question appeared.

/Are you sure, Kozume-san?/

Kenma moved like he wanted to throw the handheld away. At the last moment he just squeezed it tight. Bokuto noticed blood seeping out around the edges, and tried to pry his hands off. 

“Hey!” Bokuto said, frowning and looking at Kenma’s hands after he managed to get the handheld free. There was blood on his palm, and a tiny cut near the base of his thumb. “What was that for?”

“I’m fine, Bo,” Kenma said, turning to rest the side of his face against Bokuto’s chest. 

“You don’t get this back until you -”

“Bo.” Kenma pulled back and looked at him. His eyes seemed impossibly huge. “It’s ok. I fried it anyways. It’ll be ok.”

“You what? How?”

He didn’t fully understand the look Kenma gave him at that question. 

“Look, just trust me alright? It’s - it’s complicated. But that person who’s after us - well. They’re really good, whoever they are. I’m pretty sure they didn’t get a lock on our location, but I had to kill it to make sure they hadn’t traced me back to the device.”

“Oh,” Bokuto said. It all confused him. He set the handheld down on the bench next to him and examined Kenma’s hand again, frowning down at the blood there. “I don’t understand.”

“I’m sorry.”

Bokuto nodded, sliding his hands down and pulling Kenma close again. There was some reassurance in having the solid weight of him in his lap, even if Bokuto’s mind was still trying to wrap itself around what had just happened. “So does this mean we can’t call out? Talk to Akaashi and Kuroo?”

Kenma thought this over for a few moments, snuggling back against him. “Maybe,” he said. “It’s probably not a good idea to do it that often anyways. If the people after us realize we’re working together with Seijou - or think that Akaashi and Kuroo are doing things because we’re kidnapped -”

“That could be bad.”

“Yeah. Could make them the targets instead of just us.”

Bokuto nodded, frowning as he breathed in the scent of Kenma’s hair. “They’re supposed to be the safe ones,” he said.

“They will be.”

Kenma leaned back again and looked up at him, then glanced over to the couple on the opposite side of the truck. They were making out again. Bokuto wondered if they’d even noticed what had gone on with Kenma and the handheld.

It didn’t look like it.

Kenma smiled back up at him, then started to lift a hand up before noticing the blood on his palm. Then he made a face. “I should go wash this off,” he said.

Bokuto nodded.

Kenma didn’t make any move to get up.

Bokuto just held him tighter, letting him turn sideways in his lap, one hand stroking Kenma’s shoulder and the other rubbing circles into his thigh. “You’re really ok?” He asked, feeling Kenma nod. “Scared?”

After a moment of hesitation, Kenma nodded again.

Bokuto kissed the top of his head. “I won’t let anything happen to you,” he promised.

“I know, Bo,” Kenma said, snuggling closer.

“Everything’s going to be ok,” Bokuto said, wanting to make it another promise.

He’d do everything in his power to make sure both of those promises came true.


	24. Cut Off (E)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rated E for a bit of smut later on. This kicks it up over 70k, which I'm happy about ^_^ Hope everyone who's reading is enjoying it, I'm having a blast. Let me know if you have any questions!

Akaashi could tell the moment he walked in the room that something was wrong.

“What’s going on?” He asked, looking over at Kunimi and Kindaichi. Kindaichi looked up at him then away, further reinforcing Akaashi’s suspicions. 

Frowning when neither of them answered, Akaashi walked over and gave them each one of the mugs of tea he was carrying before sitting next to Kunimi.

“What is it?” He asked again.

Kunimi glanced over at him, fingers dancing on the glass in front of him. “It’s not bad exactly,” he said. “Well, it’s not good either, but it’s not critical.”

“What. Is. It.” Akaashi said, reminding himself that losing patience with the other man would not get him results. 

“Kozume’s handheld has gone offline.”

“Like, he lost connection?” 

“No. As near as I can tell, it no longer exists. There’s not even any ghost data for it. Something wiped it out.”

“Something?”

“Well, someone. If I had to guess, I’d say it was Kozume himself - though why and how he did it, I have no clue. Well. At least, I don’t have a clue to the how.”

Akaashi frowned, waiting for him to continue.

“I think” Kunimi said, narrowing his eyes at the screen in front of him, “that someone is after him. There’s a presence I’ve been skirting around. As near as I can tell, it’s not looking for me, but it does seem to be trying to trim all the leads that point to Oikawa and the others. Kozume splintered all the tracking data before his handheld was fried, but this person may be able to burn through all of that to track them.”

“That’s not good,” Akaashi said.

Kunimi nodded. “We knew it was a good possibility, though. I’m not sure we expected someone with this much skill to be after them, but at least we planned for the eventuality.”

“True,” Akaashi said. “Can we contact them at all? Warn them?”

“Well, we might be able to. However,” Kunimi said, leaning back and looking at Akaashi, “attempting to make contact might just spread a link that points directly to them, and also right back at us. The person out there is someone much more skilled than I am at this. So far I’ve been good by staying under their radar, but I have no doubt they’d find us in an instant if they had reason to look our way. It reminds me of when I was going up against Kozume earlier.”

“They’re that good?”

“To a person of my limited skillset, yes.”

That really wasn’t good. From the way Kenma talked, Kunimi was more than just an amateur. Perhaps he was being modest, but in essence it felt like they would be running around blind. “Kuroo won’t like that.”

“Won’t like what?” Kuroo said, choosing that moment to walk in.

Akaashi looked back at him, then sighed. “We think there’s a hacker that’s honing in on the other group’s location. It looks like Kenma fried his handheld as well, possibly in response.”

“Shit,” Kuroo said, moving to stand next to Akaashi. “Are they ok? Can you tell if they’re ok?”

“I think they’re fine,” Kunimi said. “The truck has some low-level heartbeat signals that I can track, they’re separate than anything else so I doubt the hacker can break into them. The signals don't tell me where they are, but their velocity hasn’t changed much in the past hour or two. Kozume was online and active since then, so it doesn’t look like their travel has been interrupted.”

Kuroo nodded. “Well that’s something, at least.”

Kunimi nodded. “As I was telling Akaashi, it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to contact them right now. I’ll try to contact Sugawara and see if he has any ideas, though.”

“Thank you,” Kuroo said. His hand was wrapped around the edge of Akaashi’s chair, white knuckles betraying his outward calm. Akaashi shared a glance with him, then looked back at Kunimi. 

“Is there any other news?” Kuroo asked. 

“Yes,” Kunimi said, glancing back at Kageyama. “Thank you for planting the bugs earlier. They’ve been very helpful.”

“Oh?” 

“Yes. I was able to gain access much more quickly. I targeted Kaori’s account specifically, and found a memo explaining the loss of a batch of DX9-317 due to an accident in the lab from the same time as Oikawa’s sample. There’s also a deleted note that I was able to partially recover. It’s vague, but it matches the scrap of paper you all found in Oikawa’s apartment. Of course, there’s no way to know for sure, but we also know she did have access to the details of the shipment that was stolen.”

“That you stole,” Akaashi corrected.

Kunimi shrugged, a brief smile flitting across his face. “Yes.”

“So,” Kuroo said, “It looks like your instincts were right, Akaashi.”

He was frowning. Akaashi wondered if it was just because of the news about Kenma and Bokuto, or if there was something right. “That makes things easier. I just hope no one else is looking for the same thing.”

“Well, no one else has access to the evidence you collected at the OIkawa’s apartment, right? So they wouldn’t know to look for her by that route,” Kindaichi said.

“True,” Akaashi said. 

“I still don’t like it,” said Kuroo. “I ran into a guy I know - knew, back in the day. He’s dangerous. I’d say we try to bring her in, or have her meet up with your other friend. Get her somewhere safe.”

His voice was more serious than Akaashi had ever heard it. 

“Alright,” Akaashi said. It seemed rash, but he also trusted Kuroo’s judgement. He hadn’t seen Kaori in years, but she was still important. “I’ll contact Yukie and see if she still keeps in touch.”

“Sounds good,” Kuroo said. “Anything else, Kunimi?”

The hacker shook his head. “Not yet. I’ll do what i can to see if anyone else is snooping on her or the other people in her division, and I’m still mining data to see if there are any leads. There’s a delay on the data dumps, unfortunately, but in a way that’s good. Less chance of people tracking us.”

Kuroo nodded, and Akaashi wondered if he’d understood a word of that last explanation. Akaashi hadn’t.

“Good work,” Kuroo said, looking distant. “I’m going to go clean some things up. Kageyama, wanna help?”

“Alright.”

And just like that, they were gone.

Akaashi pondered the situation. Kuroo really was a natural leader. Akaashi wondered if he should bothered by watching his new team mate taking charge of the situation, but found he didn’t really care.

In a way, it was nice.

The moment to think brought him back around to his worry, however, so he turned to Kunimi, waiting for a break in the conversation between him and Kindaichi before asking, “Could you show me how I can acess that heartbeat information?”

Kunimi nodded, importing it to Akaashi’s screen with just a few taps.

Akaashi watched it. The truck speed was holding steady. Had been holding steady. Bokuto and Kenma were safe, as best they knew. 

It wasn’t enough. Akaashi curled his fingers, feeling the slight tremor in his hands.

It wasn’t enough.

But right now it was all they had, so it would have to do.

~~~~~~~~

Two men sat in the back a cab.

“I’m not going to let you carry my bags,” the shorter one said.

“But you’re limping,” said the taller one.

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine, and it’s easy enough for me to get them -”

“I’m not an invalid!”

A pause, then the taller man said, “You’re still healing up though. They told you not to overdo it.”

The shorter man grunted. “I am fine. And I can still kick you.”

The taller man pouted, and said, “It’s not like I’m calling you -”

“Don’t even say it!”

“Fine. But I will carry your bags for you.”

The shorter man huffed, and turned to his handheld, frowning a moment before cursing under his breath.

“What is it?” The taller man asked.

“I lost him. He dropped out,” the shorter man replied. “Such a pain. There's someone else looking in their area as well. I’m pretty sure he's still going to the same place though. We should be fine. Hopefully we'll reach him before these other people do.”

“Good,” the taller man said. “I don’t want to lose them again, and I definately don't want anything to happen before we can say hello.”

They contemplated that in silence, watching the lights pass by outside the cab window.

“Do you think they’re still together?” The taller man asked.

“Should be. They’re always together.”

“True.”

The cab stopped, and the shorter man reached forward, pressing his handheld against the pay station before thanking the driver.

“This is it?” The shorter one asked, not protesting as the taller one grabbed both of their bags from the back of the cab.

“Yep. We should already have a reservation. Nothing fancy, just one used for day trips and sightseeing, but it should take us where we need to go.”

“Good,” the shorter man said. “The sooner we get there, the better.”

"Agreed," the taller man said, looking forward at the lot filled with surface aircraft.

If they were lucky, their goal was only a scant few hours away.

~~~~~~~~

“Stay with me,” Akaashi had said, so Kuroo had followed.

They’re back here in this room again. The last place he’d slept with Kenma. Only the night before. Kuroo was feeling sick to his stomach just a bit, torn between wishing he’d had Kenma all to himself and being grateful the four of them had spent the night together. This whole thing felt new, and rushed.

It also felt right.

The lights were muted this time, shades of blue, green, and gold gently fading in and out from some hidden source. The bed looked big, but Kuroo remembered it as being barely large enough for the four of them.

Of course, Bokuto had spend most of the night trying to take up half the bed for himself. Fuck, he missed him. Missed Kenma. Their absence was a visceral thing that echoed in Kuroo’s chest.

Akaashi was standing in the middle of the room, slowly unbuttoning his shirt.

Kuroo wondered for a moment what this all meant. The memory of Daishou’s betrayal was still fresh in his mind, a wound that had never fully healed. Akaashi was nothing like Daishou. Bokuto was the furthest thing in all the worlds from Daishou. Kenma...

Kenma was Kenma.

Akaashi looked back at him, shrugging the shirt off his shoulders. “You can actually come in, Kuroo,” he said.

Kuroo was surprised at the uncertainty he was able to read in the other man’s voice. 

He was part of the cause of it, and didn’t want to be.

Akaashi, he cared about Akaashi. 

So when Akaashi turned back toward the bed, looking down, Kuroo came up behind him and traced his fingers down his back. 

“I’m in,” Kuroo said.

Akaashi just nodded, not saying a word, but he leaned back into Kuroo’s touch.

They undressed each other and lay down, sheets cool against their bodies. All Kuroo wanted to do was get lost for a bit. He’d spent too much time today thinking about things he couldn’t help, things he couldn’t change. He had to trust Bokuto, had to trust Kenma. He couldn’t do anything about them right now.

Akaashi, he could do something about.

He pushed Akaashi back, somewhat surprised when the man complied willingly. 

“You’re beautiful,” he said, tracing his fingers down Akaashi’s chest.

“You are as well,” Akaashi replied.

His eyes were glowing. They looked more pale green than white in the darkness, but Kuroo assumed it was just because of Akaashi’s natural eye color. He was beautiful. Kuroo pushed sensation into his fingertips, feeling Akaashi gasp and respond, arching up into his touch. 

Forget beautiful. Akaashi was a fucking masterpiece.

He had to kiss him then, drink in all the gasps and sounds as Kuroo’s hand trailed lower, exploring all the bits of Akaashi’s exposed skin. He was so greedy, greedy for Akaashi. Pulling back he watched him move, watched the desire in Akaashi’s eyes, in his kiss-swollen lips and open mouth. Kuroo wanted to take his time but at the same time he just wanted to watch all of Akaashi’s expressions.

He wanted to watch him come.

He moved, sliding fingers into Akaashi’s mouth and groaning as he sucked, sensations running all down his hand. He didn’t know what all Akaashi wanted but since Akaashi wasn’t saying anything Kuroo just decided to take.

He slid between Akaashi’s legs, kneeling, one hand wrapping around Akaashi’s cock and lifting it up. Akaashi pulled his legs up and out, holding them there, saying with just a look that he was open to whatever Kuroo wanted

It was heady, Intoxicating. Beautiful.

The light in his eyes was mesmerizing.

Kuroo slid wet fingertips down, pressing against Akaashi’s entrance as he stroked his cock. This was what Kuroo wanted, this right here. He tugged the other’s length, feeling precum drip down and wet his fingers as he pulled, thumb rubbing underneath the sensitive head as he slid a finger in deep. 

Akaashi was quiet, just gasping sometimes, breathing, gaze never leaving Kuroo’s face.

Another finger, slipping in easily, thrusting in time with the movement’s of Kuroo’s hand on Akaashi’s cock. He didn’t bother stretching. That wasn’t what he wanted right now. What he wanted was to watch and listen. See the widening of eyes that signaled surprise, watch as Akaashi’s lips fluttered open and closed as he sucked in air. Akaashi was all grace and motion as he bucked against Kuroo’s hands, little whispered sighs escaping that mouth, fingers curling into pale skin as Akaashi held himself open for more.

Those sighs and gasps became harsher as Kuroo sped up. His fingers curled, rubbing against that one spot that made Akaashi almost vocalize his moans. Kuroo squeezed on the upstroke, pulled skin on the downstroke, fingers moving in random patterns that settled as Akaashi got closer and closer to climax.

Fuck he was beautiful. Fuck, Kuroo wanted to memorize this sight forever.

He was falling, and he knew it. Falling for both of them, falling in a way he never really let himself fall, except for Kenma.

But Kenma was his world.

So, so much of it was because Kenma wanted them too, would love them too, but there was so much more that was just about these two people. This beautiful man who gave himself over, no questions, no warnings, just gave himself over to Kuroo. Trusting him. Wanting him. Needing him.

Kuroo huffed out a breath and focused, hearing Akaashi actually gasp as Kuroo rubbed that spot, calling sensation from skin to skin in a way he doubted anyone had ever done for Akaashi. Not in here, in the depths of him, hot and greedy. On his cock, yes, it would be an echo of what had happened last night when they’d all been wrapped together in pleasure.

This was more. Kuroo felt sublimely pleased to be the first one to give Akaashi this sensation, the first one to see the shock and the way his back arched, whining cries escaping those glistening lips. He moved his hands faster, watching Akaashi buck against him, nails biting into his own skin. Those glowing eyes were half-lidded now, pupils blown wide with desire. Kuroo had no doubt that his looked the same, glowing red as he poured everything he had into making Akaashi feel absolutely incredible, pushing him closer and closer to the edge.

Then Akaashi was tensing up, breath caught in his throat. Kuroo kept stroking his cock but pressed hard inside, rubbing, watching Akaashi’s eyes open wide like he was seeing nothing at all. Then he came, spurting onto his stomach between them, body jolting from the aftershocks of orgasm.

Fucking incredible.

Finally Akaashi relaxed back down onto the bed, and Kuroo slid his fingers out, looking for something to wipe up the mess.

“Towels,” Akaashi said, hand lazily waving as he let his legs back down. “Thank you.”

Kuroo smiled. He looked over the side of the bed and found a box of moist towels, chuckling at the convenience.

“Use these often?” He asked, teasing as he wiped off Akaashi’s stomach.

Akaashi made a face. “It’s handy,” he said. “Bokuto falls asleep before taking a shower.”

Kuroo smiled at the image, cleaning off his fingers before tossing the towel in the direction of the waste basket. “Kenma likes to do that too sometimes. But I can carry Kenma in to shower.”

“Can he carry you?” Akaashi asked, poking him as Kuroo lay down beside him.

Kuroo laughed. “Fair question,” he replied, enjoying Akaashi’s perceptiveness. Too many people misunderstood his relationship with Kenma. Not that either of them really minded; what they did in their own bed was their business. But it was nice to know that the person who would be joining them in bed saw beyond more than just the surface. “No,” he continued, “but I really really hate waking up with dried cum in my ass.”

Akaashi snorted. “Vulgar much?”

“Maybe,” Kuroo said. “Sorry, I’m not always much of a romantic.”

“Heh. I guess I’ll have to rely on Bokuto for the romance part, then.”

“Sometimes. Do you want to be romanced, Akaashi?” Kuroo asked, raising a hand to brush dark sweaty curls off of Akaashi’s face.

“Don’t we all, sometimes?”

Kuroo wanted to reply that Kenma didn’t, but that wouldn’t be completely true. Kenma just had his own special brand of romance.

A part of Kuroo’s heart opened up at the thought of indulging in more classical expressions of romance, though. He wondered, dreamed, felt foolish and hopeful all at the same time as he thought about whether he could find that with Akaashi.

Smiling at the thought, he leaned forward and kissed the other man, feeling Akaashi roll them so that Kuroo was on his back. Akaashi’s hand drifted down. “Do you want me to?”

Kuroo shook his head. “Not at the moment,” he said. “I got what I wanted. I don’t always need that, and if it’s all the same to you, I’d rather just keep kissing for a while.”

Akaashi chuckled, hand coming back up to slide into Kuroo’s hair. “You and Bokuto and your kisses,” he said, lips soft and wet against Kuroo’s mouth.

“Mmm,” Kuroo replied, sucking gently on Akaashi’s lower lip. “Well to be fair, you’re a very good kisser.”

Akaashi chuckled into the kiss, tongue dancing against Kuroo’s before he pulled back. “You say the sweetest things.”

“Romance, right?” Kuroo said, hands sliding up and down Akaashi’s back.

“I guess so,” Akaashi replied, dropping back down for another kiss.

Akaashi tasted clean and sweet. Kuroo sucked at his tongue, feeling the other respond, replaying the image of Akaashi’s orgasm in his mind over and over. 

“This is new,” he finally said, in a moment when they paused to take a breath.

Akaashi pulled back and looked at him, then rolled over onto his side. Kuroo rolled to look at him, letting their fingers intertwine.

“New?” Akaashi asked.

Kuroo nodded. “I think so,” he said. “I mean, Kenma and I - we’ve played with other people before. Well, me more than him, to be honest. Kenma is very picky. He has his own rhythm to things.”

Akaashi smiled. “I’m glad he picked us then.”

Kuroo nodded, bringing Akaashi’s hand up to his mouth so he could kiss his knuckles as he thought. “But it’s normally just...”

“Friends,” Akaashi supplied, pulling closer so that their foreheads touched. 

“Yeah,” Kuroo replied, watching as their fingers played against each other. He focused a bit and felt Akaashi respond. 

“It could just be this,” Akaashi admitted. “This is new to me, and I like it a lot. And getting to learn about my people - my father’s people. This may just be an infatuation, or a response because of all the stress we’re under. It may fade away as time wears on.”

“I hope not,” Kuroo said, squeezing Akaashi’s fingers.

Akaashi nodded. “Me too,” he said.

Kuroo thought about it a few moments. “I don’t normally get attached like this so fast,” he said. “You two make it so easy though. So perfect.”

“I’m nowhere near perfect,” Akaashi said quickly. “I make all sorts of mistakes. And Bokuto - he -”

“Perfect for us then. At least that’s how it feels. Like - I don’t know -”

“Pieces of a puzzle,” Akaashi said.

“Maybe, yes. Like we aren’t all put together, but there’s just this balance. It’s almost like -”

Kuroo stopped himself, feeling like he’d revealed too much already. It’s almost like I never knew I needed you until I met you, he wanted to say.

But that would be too much, too soon, too fast. 

And too true.

Akaashi just nodded, tilting his head back so that Kuroo looked at him.

“I’m willing to try if you are,” Akaashi said, chuckling. “Thought it may mean I’ll have to rewrite some of my rules.”

“Me too. I don't think I’ll mind, though.”

“Though it all depends on -”

“What they say,” Kuroo said, nodding. “When they’re back.”

When. Not if. Because they would be back.

Even if they had to take the ship all the way out there to get them.

Akaashi smiled. “Yes.”

Then he kissed him again, pressing Kuroo back down against the mattress, and they tabled the conversation.

Just for the moment.


	25. Into the Woods

Yahaba was not someone who enjoyed being woken up by someone licking his nose.

Scratch that, some thing.

Frowning he glared at the puppy sitting next to the bed, wanting to ignore her whine. 

“Ugh, Hachi. Watari should’ve taken you for a walk already,” Yahaba said. “And fed you. All I wanted was a few hours beauty sleep. Would you begrudge me that much?”

Evidently she would, since she just sat there, tail patting the concrete floor. Grumbling Yahaba rolled out of bed and pulled on some pants and a shirt, padding into the main area of the hotel they’d taken over. Only the first floor was usable, but it was enough.

Would be enough, once the others arrived. Yahaba tried to suppress the feeling of nervous excitement at that thought. They’d barely gotten any word from the others, but he’d heard that Kyoutani was back on planet early. Yahaba tried to suppress the worry that thought engendered. Hopefully things had gone alright with his work. 

Yahaba hadn’t expected him to be back in time to be tangled up with this job.

He and Watari had been holed up in this ghost town in the hills for days, waiting on word from OIkawa about how he wanted them to distribute the shipment of drugs. They’d all known there would be some heat that came of the theft. What little he’d heard about what had actually happened to them in the city seemed way out of proportion. At least he’d had Watari to keep him company.

A Watari who had evidently fallen asleep on his watch.

“Hey,” Yahaba said, flicking the back of his friend’s head. “Wake up.”

“What? Ugh,” Watari said, turning to look at him a bit sheepishly. “Sorry about that.”

“Yeah? Well what if Oikawa-san walked in on us and we were both asleep -”

Suddenly, Hachi ran to the front of the building, barking excitedly at the door. Watari and Yahaba exchanged looks, both moving to grab their guns before going to the door.

A knock banged against the metal. “Yahoo!” came a voice from outside. “Is this the right place?”

Yahaba and Watari exchanged looks. “Oikawa,” they both said, putting up their guns. Yahaba moved to answer the door, holding Hachi back by her collar.

“Oikawa-san,” he said, nodding his head and stepping back so the others could come in. They looked a little beat up. Iwaizumi especially, and Yahaba noted some fading bruises around Oikawa’s neck. He craned his head, noting the strangers and looking for Kyoutani.

The blond was the last one in, and something was wrong. He looked sullen, and sheepish, and vaguely ashamed of himself. He’d done something.

Yahaba looked over at Oikawa, who was stretching and exclaiming how good it was to get off the road. Their leader did glance over at Iwaizumi when Yahaba caught his eye, though, but that made no sense. Kyoutani wouldn’t hurt Iwaizumi. Yahaba glanced at Hanamaki for clarification, who subtly pointed to one of the strangers with a bad dye job whose face was a bit bruised up as well.

Had Kyoutani done that?

When Yahaba looked at Kyoutani, the blond looked down. Bingo. Smiling sweetly, Yahaba stepped closer to him. “We’re going to have to have a talk, aren’t we?” He murmured, seeing the slight flash of alarm in the other’s eyes before Kyoutani bared his teeth in a growl. “Stop that. You’ll teach Hachi bad manners,” Yahaba snapped, finally letting go of the puppy’s collar. She immediately jumped up on Kyoutani’s legs, yipping happily as he crouched down to give her a proper welcome. Finally Yahaba wouldn’t have to take care of the dog day and night.

Though if Kyoutani had done something seriously stupid, they could both sleep outside in the doghouse.

Sighing, Yahaba went over to Oikawa. “Where’s Kindaichi and Kunimi?” He asked.

“Oh, Yahaba!” Oikawa said. “I was just explaining. They’re back in town with our new friends. These are our other new friends, Kenma and Bokuto. You already know Hinata.”

Yahaba nodded, giving a slight wave to the redhead who was engrossed in conversation with Watari already, no doubt talking about some new game. He looked over the two strangers, the guy with the bad dye job being Kenma and the tall guy with spiky hair being Bokuto. “Nice to meet you,” he said.

Kenma just nodded and turned as Hinata pulled him into their conversation. The guy looked pretty laid back. Tired and washed out, but these things happened, and it was hard to be attractive with a black eye.

Iwaizumi pulled it off, but that was just natural talent.

“So we’re here for the shipment,” Bokuto said.

“Here to see the shipment,” Oikawa corrected, frowning a bit.

Bokuto shrugged, and they both turned to Yahaba expectantly.

“Well, we hid it up in the hills a bit. There’s a big storage facility up there, with a lot of containers full of useless things. We figured that was the best place to hide it. Probably better to go up there in the morning, though; it freezes up here at night and it’s already pretty dark. Plus there are wild animals.

Bokuto looked a little impatient, but Iwaizumi nodded. “We’ve been traveling all day anyway. Could probably use the rest.”

“We’re working on limited time,” Kenma said, rejoining the conversation. “There is someone tracking us. The sooner we get to the shipment, the better.”

Yahaba clanged between him and Oikawa, who seemed thoughtful.

“Well,” Oikawa said. “I’ll tell you, I want to get this over with as much as anyone, but you said they probably lost the signal out on the plains, right?”

Kenma nodded, then shrugged.

“Well,” Oikawa continued. “It probably would be hard to track us once we entered the tunnels earlier, those things are a maze if you don’t know the way through. And then in the forest, too. Mattsun and Makki are exhausted, the rest of us probably need some proper sleep as well. If we’re going to run into someone I’d rather either do it here, where we’re away from the shipment, or when we’re well rested. Does that make sense?”

It made sense to Yahaba. “This place can go on lockdown,” he said. “It has shielding from heat sensors from above, both here and in the garage - where I assume you parked. Plus we have an escape tunnel if we need, it lets up back in the mountains. The trader that we bought the information from said they used this was one of the hidey holes back in the mine raids a few years ago.

Kenma looked puzzled at that, but shrugged, glancing up at Bokuto.

“I guess it makes sense,” the taller man said, stifling a yawn. “You wanted to see if they had equipment that would let you contact Kuroo and Akaashi, right?”

Kenma nodded. “Watari said they might have something I can use, and Hinata’s going to help.”

“Alright,” Bokuto said, stifling another yawn.

“It’s getting late,” Iwaizumi said. “I say we wake up early, eat something, and then trek up to the place with the shipment.”

“Sounds good to me, Iwa-chan!” Oikawa said, looking over behind Yahaba. “And look, Kyoutani’s being so good bringing in all our bags.”

Yahaba looked back, then glanced at Oikawa. “Was it bad?”

“Hmm?” Oikawa said, looking at Yahaba a long moment before turning to ask Kenma. “Is it bad, Kenma-chan?”

“What?” Kenma asked, looking shocked a moment then frowning as Oikawa gestured to his face. “What, no, it’s fine.”

“It’s not fine,” Bokuto said, frowning over at Kyoutani.

“No, it is fine,” Kenma said, ducking his head to hide his face under his hair. He really did need a haircut.

“Mmm,” Oikawa said, raising a hand and holding his thumb and forefinger close together, “it’s a little bad? Not too bad though. I trust you can take care of it, Yahaba.”

Iwaizumi gave a little snort at that. “I’m heading to bed.”

Yahaba just nodded, watching Kyoutani bring in the rest of the bags. “Of course, Oikawa-san. Goodnight, Iwaizumi-san.”

Oikawa gave him a little pat on the back, pushing him back over to Kyoutani, who had gone back to petting Hachi.

“You going to tell me about it?” Yahaba asked, frowning down at Kyoutani as he ignored him. “Well?”

He moved his foot closer, breaking into Kyoutani’s personal space, and watched as the blond’s hand dropped from Hachi’s neck to the floor near Yahaba’s boot. Kyoutani’s fingers curled though, hesitance written all over his movements.

Good.

Kyoutani would tell him everything, soon.

“Did you get the things I asked for?” Yahaba asked.

“Yes.”

“Yes?” 

There was a slight pause before Kyoutani answered again, and Yahaba could hear the slight huskiness in his voice. “Yes.”

It wasn’t good enough. But it would do for now.

“Go feed and water your dog, then put her out in her kennel,” Yahaba said. “Then you can choose to either join me, or sleep out there with her. If you join me though, you’re going to tell me everything.”

Kyoutani looked up at him, worried eyes above a faint dusting of pink on his cheeks. That pink became a full out flush when Hanamaki laughed. Yahaba looked over to see him high-fiving Matsukawa, and scowled. “Just do it,” he said, ignoring the way Kyoutani scrambled to get out and away.

He was glad, really glad, that they were all here and safe. But truth be told, as much as he was happy to have him here, he still wished that Kyoutani was safely out on a planet far far away.

~~~~~~~~~~

Tendou was pretty sure that what he’d thought was a rabbit was more like a cat. Kozume Kenma, of prior association with Nekoma. Tendou had read up a bit on what had caused him and Kuroo Tetsurou to leave Nekoma, but he wasn’t sure how useful the information would be, especially since it was obviously written by biased sources.

Those two were justice-aligned, and alignment didn’t allow for the deviation Kuroo was reported to have committed. Not that it was any of his business. It made him wonder about Kozume, though - something about the way he coded made Tendou think the guy was a bit of a hybrid. Normally, Tendou didn’t have this much trouble finding someone. Even if they were good. Even if they were very good.

Kozume had all but disappeared, though; leaving behind ghost traces that seemed almost too clever. For a short while, Tendou had almost thought that he’d misread things and that Kozume was still here in the city.

He knew better, though.

He heard the door open, felt the floor shake with the heavy tread of the man who walked in. “Any luck?” Ushijima asked.

“Getting closer,” Tendou said, not bothering to look back as he heard Ushijima stop right behind his chair. “They’re up here somewhere. The satellite coverage is pitiful though. This planet really is primitive.”

Ushijima grunted, bending closer to examine the map Tendou had pulled up. Kozume and the group he was with were in the mountains now, where a whole mass of tiny mining and logging camps had been erected over the years. Tendou had to admit to himself that things might’ve gone more smoothly if he hadn’t chosen to show his hand, but in the end it wouldn’t matter. He’d find them, they’d capture Oikawa and get the shipment, and that would be the end of it.

“Do you still think Kozume is a hostage?” Ushijima said.

“If I had to guess,” Tendou said, pausing on that word because he liked it, “I’d say, no. I think he’s working in collusion with them for some reason. I could be wrong. They could be using the other hostage to influence his behavior. Still it’s too thorough for that, in my estimation. There are too many places where he could’ve slipped up on purpose to let us in. But it’s only a guess.”

Ushijima was silent a moment. They both knew about the track record Tendou had with guessing.

“So,” Ushijima said slowly, “going into this situation, we should approach both Kozume and Bokuto as potential hostiles, unless we see evidence on the ground that says differently.”

“That’s probably a safe assumption.”

Ushijima nodded. “And what do you think about the other two - Kurro and Akaashi? Are they in on it too?”

“Hard to say, given the data we have now,” Tendou said. “From what I have gathered, they’ve always been extremely loyal to their respective partners. However, there’s no evidence from this side that they’ve been acting in support of Seijou. It does seem like they haven’t done much to look for their partners, but if Kozume was their hacker, his loss probably crippled them a great deal.”

“Hmm,” Ushijima said, then shrugged. “Well, if they are a problem, Daishou and his group can handle them. We’re not here to clean up all the messes after all. We’re just here to get Oikawa and the shipment.”

“True,” Tendou said, turning his attention back to the screen beneath his fingers.

“How much longer would you say it’s going to take?”

“Not long,” Tendou said. “Hour, hour or two at the most, I think. Then we can head out there.”

“Good,” Ushijima said. “I’d like to get this wrapped up before lunchtime tomorrow.”

Tendou chuckled. “I’ll do my best.”

He almost felt sorry for Kozume and Oikawa.

Almost.

~~~~~~~~

Bokuto was having the best dream. He was holding something soft and fuzzy that smelled absolutely delicious. Nuzzling into it he took a lick, frowning a bit when he got a mouthful of fur.

No, hair, he decided as his mind became more awake. Hair, and the thing he was clutching moved.

“Bokuto,” the thing grumbled, “What are you doing?”

“Hmm?” Bokuto said, shifting somewhat and nuzzling through the hair to the skin beneath. That was better. Soft, and yes, delicious. He took another lick, enjoying the way Kenma squirmed a bit in response, pushing back with his ass even as he moved his head forward and away from Bokuto’s mouth. That was vaguely disappointing, but it did allow Bokuto to have a lovely view of the back of Kenma’s neck, exposed by the oversized shirt he was wearing.

Bokuto had gone to bed alone the night before, shooed away by Kenma who was staying up late with Hinata and one of the new Seijou people. He’d slept naked, of course, because naked was the best way to sleep, but he supposed Kenma’s choice of a big soft red flannel sleepshirt had its advantages.

“Is that your shirt?” Bokuto asked.

He was rewarded by a flush that crept up the back of Kenma’s neck as the blond mumbled something into the pillow.

“What?”

Kenma sighed. “I said, it’s Kuroo’s shirt. Now can we get back to sleep please?”

“Cute,” Bokuto said, happy to see the flush on the back of Kenma’s neck deepen. It was fascinating to see his responsiveness. He wondered what else would make him respond.

“I’m not cute I’m tired,” Kenma grumbled, then froze. “Bo, what exactly are you doing?”

“Hmm?” Bokuto asked, sliding fingers down to the bottom of the shirt and underneath, tracing up to see what else Kenma was wearing. “Nothing.”

“You’re a liar,” Kenma said, sucking in his belly as Bokuto’s fingers traced over it, pulling him back flush against Bokuto’s body. Kenma wasn’t exactly small, but he was small enough for Bokuto to notice, especially after so many years of sleeping with Akaashi. Kenma fit perfectly against him.

Bokuto curled around him, kissing the nape of his neck and rocking his hips to let his morning wood nudge against the curve of Kenma’s ass. Yes, perfect.

“Bokuto,” Kenma said, an edge of breathlessness in his voice, “Bokuto, quit that.”

Freezing, Bokuto pulled back. “Really?” He asked.

Kenma shifted, turning on his back to look up at Bokuto. His hair fell around his face like a halo. Bokuto thought he might want to kiss him, but he was waking up enough to worry that he’d upset him.

Kenma pursed his lips, making Bokuto want to kiss him even more, then sighed. “You’re hornier than Kuroo in the morning,” he finally said.

“Am I?” Bokuto asked, still uncertain. Kenma didn’t seem angry, just grumbly.

“Yes,” Kenma said, raising a hand to push back the hair in Bokuto’s face. His fingers traced over Bokuto’s temple, pressing against the skin there. Bokuto wanted to turn his head and taste the skin of his wrist, but he wanted to make sure it was ok first.

“I really want to kiss you,” Bokuto said, watching Kenma’s face to see his reaction.

Kenma wrinkled his nose up, then sighed. “You probably have morning breath,” he murmured, but he slid his fingers back further into Bokuto’s hair and pulled him down for a kiss. 

Bokuto responded happily, pressing down into the kiss and sucking on Kenma’s lower lip. It was gratifying to feel the other man respond. He arched a bit, making a soft noise into the kiss. It was enough to encourage Bokuto to slide his hand back down to Kenma’s thigh, pushing the hem of Kuroo’s shirt up as he moved his fingers up over the bare skin of Kenma’s hip and around to his ass. Kenma was grumpy in the mornings, Bokuto decided, but also soft. Soft and delicious and if he was lucky -

A knock sounded at the door.

“Ah,” a voice on the other side, “Ah sorry to wake you, Kozume-san, but one of those alarms you set up last night just went off.”

Kenma froze. “Fuck,” he said, pushing Bokuto away. “Fuck fuck fuck. Bokuto get dressed. We need to go.”

He rolled out of bed and Bokuto followed, moving to gather up his things and get squared away.

“We’ll be right out,” Kenma said to the man on the other side of the door. Watari, Bokuto thought his name was. “Get everyone else up?”

“Can do!”

“Alarm?” Bokuto asked.

“Yes,” Kenma said, zipping up his skinsuit. “They found us,” he said. “They’re on their way.”


	26. The Waiting Game

“Thanks for coming with me,” Akaashi said, glancing over at Daichi.

“No problem. It’s not every day a scrub like me gets invited to Fukurodani headquarters, after all.”

Akaashi chuckled. They’d parked the bikes in the lot and were walking across the vast expanse of green grass and sidewalks that lay between them and the tall glass architecture of Fukurodani’s headquarters on Aoba. All of the green was an ostentatious display, but Akaashi was used to it. He knew the corporation’s security also used the space to double check exactly who was coming in and out of the compound. A few people got to park in the structures underground lot, but their numbers were very strictly controlled.

“So how do you know this person again?” Daichi asked.

“Yukie? Ah, we’ve known each other for a few years. She went to the academy with Bokuto and I. Several of us attended together.”

“And you all ended up way out here on Aoba?”

“Well, our head trainer was assigned here, and we got the option to follow him. Yukie works for him directly. Some others from our class also came over as well. We don’t keep in touch as much as we should, to be honest.”

“And Kaori?”

“She came later, or so I heard. She was always closer to Yukie.”

Daichi nodded, and they walked in front of the glassed in entrance, going over to the desk to get a visitor’s badge for Daichi. The woman at the desk gave them a tablet with forms to go over, and directed them to sit in the waiting area.

“Man,” Daichi said, “they really want to know all about you, don’t they?”

Akaashi chuckled. “At least you only have to do this once.”

Daichi nodded. “Having Confederation clearance will help, I’m sure.”

“How’d you swing that?”

“A lot of our people went on to work for them.”

“Ah, that makes sense. Like Tsukishima and Kageyama.”

“Yeah,” Daichi said, tapping through the forms. “And ah... and their boss is one of my oldest friends, too.”

“Oh?”

“She sometimes has us do odd jobs for them. I kinda like the idea of us being affiliated with something official,” Daichi said, glancing up. “Ah, don’t look now, but I think you have a fan.”

“What?” Akaashi said, glancing up at the glass wall behind Daichi. In the reflection he saw another group of men in the seating area, all dressed in very nice suits. One had hair that reminded Akaashi of Kuroo’s except it was lighter, he looked bored. Two of them, one with short light brown hair and one with black hair falling over his face, were engaged in heated conversation. Another had dark brown hair flipped over his face. He had a smile that set Akaashi’s teeth on edge for some reason, and he was looking straight at him. “Huh. That’s strange.”

“You aren’t used to being admired by strangers?” Daichi asked. 

Akaashi gave him a dirty look. “It’s not exactly something I encourage,” he said.

Laughing, Daichi stood and took the tablet back over to the desk. “I’d figure by now it’s just a part of life. Suga has to deal with the same thing.”

“Suga?” 

“Sugawara. Ah, a friend,” Daichi said, looking to the side with a fond smile.

Friend, eh?

“He’s attractive?”

Daichi shrugged, then gave Akaashi a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck. “Maybe,” he said, taking the badge from the woman and clipping it onto his shirt. 

Chuckling, Akaashi followed him over to the security checkpoint. “Does he know you think he’s attractive?”

Laughing, Daichi said, “If he doesn’t by now, I’ll be sure to tell him later.”

“I’m sure he’s glad to have a friend like you,” Akaashi said, smiling. His heart ached suddenly, missing Bokuto. 

Daichi glanced over at him. “What’s wrong all of a sudden?”

“Ah,” Akaashi said, schooling his face back to neutral. “Just concerned about the others.”

“Still haven’t received any contact from them?” Daichi asked.

Akaashi shook his head, walking to the elevator. “I’m just concerned something will happen and they won’t be able to tell us,” he confessed.

“They’re a good bunch of guys,” Daichi said, giving Akaashi a reassuring smile. “All sorts of tricks up their sleeves. I wouldn’t worry too much.”

“You’re awfully confident.”

Daichi just shrugged, glancing away. “Yeah, I guess - wow, that’s pretty.”

The elevator’s glass walls opened up onto a view of the interior courtyard of the Fukurodani complex, a riot of oversize trees and hanging vines, with brightly colored birds flying from limb to limb. Akaashi was used to it by now, but he supposed it might be interesting if someone hadn’t ever seen it, especially since the vegetation was all from Fukurodani’s home planet, specially contained in the glass dome of the building.

“It is,” Akaashi said, looking at Daichi suspiciously for a moment. He wondered if the other man was hiding something, with the quick change of subject.

Then again, Daichi was one of the most open people he knew. Tsukishima trusted him, and Akaashi trusted Tsukishima. He supposed everyone was entitled to their own secrets.

The elevator stopped, and they walked out toward Yamiji’s office. Akaashi nodded to a few people as they passed, then knocked on Yukie’s door.

“Akaashi!” She said, letting them in, looking at Daichi curiously. “And friend. Welcome. I wasn’t expecting you.”

Akaashi chuckled. “Yukie, this is Sawamura Daichi. Daichi, Yukie Shirofuku.”

“Pleasure to meet you, Daichi. You can call me Yukie if you’d like, I don’t mind.”

“Thank you,” Daichi said, ducking his head and giving her a warm smile.

“What brings you out here, Akaashi?” Yukie asked, offering chairs to both Akaashi and Daichi. 

Daichi sat, looking around the office. 

“Just skip the formalities, eh?” Akaashi asked, shrugging and taking the seat she had offered. “Thanks. Actually I wanted to ask you about one of our old classmates.”

“Oh?” Yukie said, taking the seat behind her desk. “Who? Need help with this job? I’m sure Konoha and Komi could take some time, they’re between things right now.”

“Really?” Akaashi asked, pondering that option for a moment. “Interesting, but actually I wanted to ask you if you ever spoke with Kaori.”

Yukie looked surprised. “Yeah! Sometimes. We went on a group date a few days ago, and sometimes hang out. Us girls need to stick together, you know. Why do you ask?”

“Did she seem alright, when you saw here?”

“Yes,” Yukie said, pursing her lips and frowning at Akaashi. “This is - wait. The job you’re on, does it have anything to do with the Kita branch? They do pharmaceuticals.”

“They do,” Akaashi said.

“And that’s where Kaori works,” Yukie said, frown deepening. “Akaashi, you know I think a lot of you, but she chose to go into business rather than security. I don’t like the idea of you involving her, if that’s what you’re thinking.”

“I wouldn’t,” Akaashi said. “However, we believe she may already be involved. If she is, she may be in danger and not realize it.”

Yukie’s eyes widened, then she looked thoughtful. “And you need my help.”

Akaashi nodded. “We think she helped share some important information with one of the people we’re working with. For a good cause, but if she is the mole, then once the people in charge find out about it, there’s no telling what they would do. Hopefully they aren’t clued in yet, but -”

“Better safe than sorry,” Yukie said, voice soft. She thought for a moment, tapping on the glass screen at her desk, then nodded. “We’re supposed to meet up this weekend. I can ask her to switch days, see if we could do it tonight instead.”

“That would be good. You all still use our shorthand from school?”

“Of course,” Yukie said, smirking. “We even have our own brand, with keywords we’d never share with the likes of you.”

“I’m hurt,” Akaashi said, chuckling. 

“I suppose you can’t help your gender,” Yukie quipped, typing out a message. “Would you be able to pick her up, if needed? She normally just uses public transportation, but if she’s in danger -”

“We can get her,” Akaashi replied, glancing at Daichi

“Good,” Yukie said, glancing up at them both. “Please keep her safe.”

Daichi smiled at her. “That’s our job, ma’am.”

Making a face, Yukie said, “Don’t ever call me that again. Makes me feel old.”

Akaashi chuckled and sat back, tapping his fingers on the arm of his chair. 

Hopefully they’d all come out of this safely.

~~~  
Kuroo walked onto the bridge. “Hey, have you guys heard anything from - oh, sorry,” he said, just noticing that Kunimi was asleep on one of the chairs.

“It’s alright,” Kindaichi said, glancing up. “He can sleep anywhere. Won’t wake up that easily.”

Nodding, Kuroo moved closer, looking down at the sleeping man before pulling a chair up next to them. “He doing alright? He’s been working a lot. His collarbone bothering him at all?”

There was a vague twinge of guilt for the fact that he’d been the one to injure the other man, but it quickly passed. He’d heal, and so would Bokuto. Really, Kuroo was just thankful that he’d found out the truth before doing something he couldn’t take back.

“It is,” Kindaichi said, frowning down at Kunimi. “He won’t let on, though. I wish he’d just let me give him some painkillers and sleep for a few hours, but he doesn’t want to miss any messages from Kozume and the others.”

The guilt was back. The kid seemed like a nice guy. “After this is over, I’ll help you induce a nice healing coma, if you want,” Kuroo joked. 

“He’d probably like the sleep,” Kindaichi said. “Normally he’s the laziest guy.”

“This has all of us on edge, I think.”

Kindaichi nodded. “It’s hard, being separated from our team. I mean, I feel like we’re safe here, which is good - even if we have to put up with that guy hanging around all the time - but I think we’re both worried.”

“That guy,” Kuroo said. “Kageyama, you mean?”

“Yeah,” Kindaichi said, making a face. “Asshole.”

“Ah.”

Shrugging, Kindaichi said. “Eh, well it’s all personal stuff though. Drama. I’m sure he’s fine with strangers, just - some things I can’t forgive.”

“You used to be friends?”

“I thought we were,” Kindaichi said. “Thought we all were, but that guy - well. History, like I said.”

Kuroo nodded, suddenly thinking back to his own history. His stomach clenched as he remembered the look on the faces of men he’d once counted as his closest friends. The stunned disbelief in Yamamoto’s eyes, the pure pain in Inuoka’s gaze, the way Fukunaga wouldn’t even look at him.

Nothing compared to the memories of the empty spaces where Yaku and Lev should’ve been, though. Nothing would ever make up for his guilt over that. Even if he hadn’t actually intended to betray them into the hands of the enemy, he still felt utterly responsible for letting his guard down so that Daishou could take advantage.

Now, he’d agreed to a mission that might put Kenma in just as much danger. 

Anxiety over the lack of contact began clawing away at him again, compounded by the knowledge that the same asshole responsible for the two gaping holes in their lives was on planet and probably mixed up in this whole affair.

He should’ve killed him when he had the chance. 

“You’re close to Kozume, aren’t you,” Kindaichi said, breaking Kuroo’s train of thought.

“Very,” Kuroo said, looking up and seeing the way the man was rubbing Kunimi’s hand. Absently, like he wasn’t even thinking about it. 

“I think they’ll be alright,” Kindaichi said, looking over at the screen. “Kunimi said that he’s pretty sure they made it to the others. Now all they have to do is get the information from the shipment for evidence and come back, right? I’m sure they’ll be alright.”

Kuroo could hear the undercurrent of worry in his voice, though. Worry that they all shared. He hated that they couldn’t do anything about it except try and reassure each other.

He’d do his part, though. “You’re right,” he said. “Bokuto is very good at what he does, and well. Kenma’s the best.”

Kindaichi chuckled, rubbing at his shoulder. “Yeah, I feel that.”

Kuroo grinned at that, vaguely proud that Kenma had taken the other man down without breaking a sweat. Even if they were allies now, it was a nice reminder that Kenma could more than hold his own. “I don’t know much about Hinata,” Kuroo said, “but I’m betting he’s not bad either.”

“Hinata? Ah, the shortie. No! He’s really good, actually. Man, you should’ve seen him in games when we were younger. Always surprised the hell out of everyone. He was actually able to work with the asshole, too - that by itself is incredible.”

The sleeping figure gave a light snort, and Kindaichi smiled, pulling his hand back. 

“Waking up?” Kindaichi asked.

Kunimi just shook his head and settled back down into the chair in a more comfortable position.

“As I was saying,” Kindaichi continued, “Hinata’s got some incredible skills. He and Iwaizumi have done some exhibition videos together too. I never thought they would get along, but it’s nice to see. Shorty gets along with everyone, though. He even keeps hanging around the asshole, for some reason. Ah, speaking of.”

Kuroo turned and looked, waving to Kageyama as he walked in the room. There was a strange expression on his face, and after a moment Kuroo realized it might possibly be a smile. “Good news?”

“Yes,” Kageyama said, smile deepening. 

“What is it this time, they put a milk machine in your office?” Kindaichi said.

There, the scowl was back. “No,” Kageyama said, crossing his arms. “It’s - you know what, you wouldn’t care anyway.”

“You’re right, I probably don’t.”

Kuroo raised an eyebrow. “You know, it’s a good thing you two don’t actually need to get along. For oh, you know, the sake of a mission or anything.”

Kageyama colored slightly at that, but Kindaichi looked unrepentant.

“I’m just going to go, ah, organize things,” Kageyama said, scowling and walking to the door.

Kuroo watched him go, then turned to Kindaichi.

“That is me getting along with him,” the man said, shrugging.

“It is,” Kunimi said, yawning slightly, eyes still closed. “Trust him.”

Kuroo chuckled. “I’d ask about what he did to piss you off so bad,” he said, “but i’m not sure I actually want to know.”

Kindaichi shrugged, giving Kunimi a protective look that spoke volumes. “You don’t,” he finally said. “You really, really don’t.”

“Fair enough.” As long as it didn't interfere with the mission, Kuroo really didn't care.

He was much more concerned about things that he couldn't do a thing about, at the moment. He glanced at the screen in front of Kunimi, trying to will a message from the rest of their team.

Nothing happened.

It was fine. They were fine. Nothing would go wrong. Kenma would be fine. Bokuto would protect him if something happened, and Kenma would protect Bokuto, and they'd both get home safely.

Still, none of that helped to ease the knot of anxiety twisting in his stomach was he watched the screen, waiting for something, anything, that would let him know his lovers were safe.


	27. The Hunted

When they got into the warehouse, it was dark and dusty. Not dark enough though, at least from Kenma’s perspective. It had been built half-way into the hillside, cargo containers stretching back into the shadows of a natural cavern. That wouldn’t be so bad. That was good, really, meant less danger of people coming in.

But the rest of the warehouse was far too open for his tastes. He hated positions with defensive weaknesses, especially when he didn’t know the weaknesses. There was too much about this that he didn’t like. It felt heavy in his gut. If Kuroo was here, things would’ve been better. Bokuto was good, but they weren’t partners yet, not the way Kenma needed.

And he barely knew these other people at all.

“Are there side entrances?” Kenma asked Yahaba, frowning at the shrug he got in return. 

Oikawa glanced at him, looking vaguely at a loss. The man was smart, but Kenma was fairly certain he’d never been in this situation before. 

“Ok,” Kenma said, keeping his voice low as he glanced around at the others. He hated being the one who had to speak, but someone had to take charge. This was just strategy. Nevermind that this game was one that risked people’s lives. It was still just a game, and games were things that he was good at. He focused, clearing out the anxiety and laying things out in his mind. “Yahaba, what direction is the container?”

“Back in the back,” Yahaba said, gesturing to an area in the back and to the side.

Hinata was already looking around, and pointed to a mound of stacked containers near the entrance to the cave in the other direction. 

Kenma nodded. “Alright,” Kenma continued. “When they get here, Yahaba and I will go back to the container. Hinata will be over there, observing everyone, and using the lightbots to create distractions. The rest of you - if you can, try to lead them back towards Hinata. Maybe there’s an exit that way we can use? Either way, just buy time while Yahaba and I get all the information we need from the shipment.”

Bokuto frowned. “I’ll go with you and Yahaba,” he said.

“No, Bokuto - you stay here. Keep them safe, especially Hinata, ok?”

“Especially Hinata?” Oikawa said, frowning.

“Well, all of you, but if they figure that Hinata’s the one sending the lightbots after them, they’ll probably target him. We don't want that to happen to early.” He didn’t mention the rest of their plan to the others, because Kenma was still fuzzy on the details himself. Hinata had said to trust him though, and he did.

“I don’t like it,” Bokuto said, frowning as Kyoutani knocked into him as he went to go stand by Yahaba.

“I am going with you,” Kyoutani said, frown on his face.

Kenma thought about it for a moment, glancing at Yahaba and then Oikawa. Finally he sighed and nodded. “Alright.”

He was worried that Bokuto would protest again. For a moment it seemed like he would, then he just nodded, and Kenma relaxed, looking over the other Seijou members. Oikawa was more serious than he’d ever seen him, and Iwaizumi just stood at his back. Hanamaki and Matsukawa were together, their normally humor muted. Watari looked nervous but sure.

Then there was a large bang outside as something landed on the ground, and Kenma had to school himself not to jump. They were here. Too soon. Fuck. He’d hoped that they could get everything done and get out before whoever they were even showed up.

A loud voice cut through the air. “This is Ushijima Wakatoshi of the Shiratorizawa Group. We have been tasked with the retrieval of one Oikawa Tooru, the stolen shipment of Hydroxine-47, and any and all Seijou members related to the crime. We know that you are in the warehouse. If you give yourself up, no harm will come to you at our hands. If we have to come in and commence retrieval, we will use any and all measures necessary to ensure the success of our mission. You have five minutes.”

Hinata sighed in relief. “Bounty hunters. Awesome!”

Oikawa shot him a glare. “Realy? Awesome?”

“No, it’s good, it’s good, just buy me some time,” Hinata said.

“Right,” said Kenma, pulling a pouch out of his jacket. “Here. We only have four earpieces, but that should help us keep in communication. Hinata, you take one, then Oikawa and Bokuto take the others - that alright?”

Oikawa nodded. His hand was shaking as he reached out for the earpiece. “We’ll stay in contact.”

Hinata took his and started to scamper off towards the stack of containers.

“Are you sure you’ll be ok?” Bokuto asked softly, hand curling around Kenma’s as he took his earpiece. “I don’t like not being able to protect you.”

“Mission first though,” Kenma said, feeling a tug of worry himself. “You stay safe too, alright? Your leg feeling ok?”

“It’s fine,” Bokuto said, giving him a smile. “I’ll be fine. You just take care of yourself.”

Kenma nodded, glancing over at Yahaba to see if he was ready to go. After a short nod, Kenma turned to Oikawa.

He wanted to say something. Figured some people would have some speech to give at this moment, something about solidarity and brotherhood and comradeship, but he had nothing. He realized he barely knew Oikawa. First enemies, and now - well. They weren’t friends. Not yet. But he was surprised to find that he did like him, for all his pretentiousness.

“Just -” Kenma started.

“We’ll be fine,” Oikawa said, giving him a big smile. “Just don’t steal my shipment from me, ok Kenma-chan?”

Kenma chuckled and ducked his head. “I’ll do my best.”

Trust. He’d have to trust them to do their best as well. He turned, staring off into the darkness, where he was about to go with a man he’d only met the night before and another man who’d showed every inclination of wanting to beat the crap out of him. For a moment he felt far too alone.

But he had a job to do, and he’d get it done.

He followed Yahaba as the man started off into the darkness.

~~~~~~~  
A small ship set down in an open yard near the edge of the small mining town, occupants frowning as they got out.

“This is the last place you had him?” The taller one asked, walking towards an abandoned building. There was a yard to the side, fenced in. An animal came up to the edge of the fence. “Ah! Nice doggy.”

The dog began to bark once it caught went of their scent, and the taller one frowned. “Not so nice doggy.”

The shorter one chuckled. “You’re always surprised that they don’t like you.”

“Well, I’m a very likable person, after all. Maybe someday I’ll find a dog who appreciates that.”

“Yes. Good luck.”

The shorter one frowned, opening up his handheld and looking around. “I was hoping they’d still be here,” he admitted, scanning signals. “They can’t’ve gone far though. The other ship landed near here too.”

The taller one nodded. “Do you think they saw us?”

“Of course not,” the shorter one said. “We were flying too low and too far behind them, and they probably were only looking to the front anyhow. Nothing glanced off us - ah.”

“Ah?” The taller one asked.

“Wow. Yes. There’s a building near the north end of town that just lit up with an exoplanetary signal all of a sudden. Strong one, too. Two-way.” He couldn’t keep the hint of excitement from his voice.

“Think that’s him?”

“Well, it’s not really his style. But I’d say that’s a good place to start looking, wouldn’t you?”

The taller one almost bounced on his feet as he nodded. “Yes. I hope they aren’t in trouble.”

“They better not be,” the shorter one grumbled. “We’ve come too far for some strangers to get in our way now. Our business is older, and much more important.”

“Agreed,” the taller one said, already climbing back into the ship. “Hurry up, let's go.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming. Where’s all that concern you showed me back in the city,” the shorter one said, limping a bit from the cold.

“But you aren’t an invalid, right?” The taller one asked, tapping his fingers against the controls.

A short sigh and a glare was all the shorter could muster with the console between them. “True,” he said, glare hinting at possible retaliation to be taken later.

The taller one just smiled, closing the doors of the ship and taking off.  
~~~~~~

Bokuto hated this.

It was dark and cold. The containers rose up around them, stacked two or three tall sometimes, and the only light they had was filtered through dirty windows. The only advantage was that the thickness of the containers meant that head vision was probably useless. Not that Bokuto would’ve turned it down if he’d had the option. All of that was back at the ship, however. They’d left it behind for several reasons: it was too easy to hack for someone with Fukurodani access, having it on them would be an admission that they were officially involved, and most of it wouldn’t work right this far from the ship. Still, Bokuto wished he had something more than just an earpiece, especially since they could barely talk without giving away their position.

He missed his suit, all the equipment, his visor with night vision. He missed having Kuroo beside him. He missed Akaashi something fierce. He was worried about Kenma. He hated being the hunted instead of the hunter.

“Be careful about guns,” Watari whispered from his position beside him. “Some of these canisters have explosives.”

Great. Perfect. It was like fighting in space all over again.

He nodded at Watari though, and tried to keep an eye on Oikawa and Iwaizumi as they moved in front of him. Matsukawa and Hanamaki were somewhere around as well, shadowing them on the other side. They were trying to stay together in pairs as best as they could, but it was getting more and more tricky as time went on

Ushijima and his people had come in minutes before, tracking them through the maze of containers. They were wandering around, taking a roundabout route toward Hinata. Every so often as they turned through the maze of metal boxes Bokuto could see the stack where Hinata was hiding. Hinata evidently had the best view of what was going on. He was playing guardian angel for them. The occasional curse behind them was evidence of that, proof of the moments when his lightbots were successful in leading the Shiratorizawa people astray.

The little bots did the trick. Bokuto had caught what looked like ghosts of people flitting from container to container, and had been thankful for the distraction more than once when they were almost caught by members of the other group. He still wasn’t sure how many of them there were. Probably only five or six. He’d only caught glimpses as he and Watari moved around, trying to keep to the shadows as much as possible. So far, they’d been lucky.

Sooner or later, their luck would run out.

A clatter of boxes ahead of them made Watari scramble back, putting distance between them and the other Seijou members. Bokuto glanced around, looking for an opening between containers when he heard a puff of air and heard Watari cry out.

“Fuck,” Bokuto said, catching the other man. He was clutching his leg, staring up at a man moving towards them at breakneck speed.

Letting go of Watari Bokuto caught the man in the gut, feeling him twist around, slamming Bokuto against a container. The man was huge, short hair and angry eyes. They grappled for a moment, and Bokuto felt the man’s hand jab him in the thigh. Huffing out a breath Bokuto knocked their heads together, staggering back with the force of the impact. The man didn’t seem phased at all. He just pulled a fist back to punch Bokuto in the face. Bokuto licked his lip, tasting blood, and lifted an arm to block the hit that never came.

Instead the man just grunted, arching his back and falling to the floor.

“What was that?” Bokuto hissed, turning the man over and seeing two wires coiling out of his back.

“Stunner,” Watari said, laughing and then hissing as he felt at his leg. 

A crackling sound came from the man’s ear, and Bokuto pulled his earpiece away. “Reon? Come in, did you find them?” 

Cursing, Bokuto smashed the earpiece with his heel and knelt next to Watari. “What did he get you with?”

“Dart of some kind,” Watari said, words slurring a bit. “Probably expected me to go down right away, but it just grazed me, woah.”

“Damnit - are you going to be ok?” Bokuto asked, worried.

Watari nodded. “Yeah,” he said, “I think so, just woozy.”

Bokuto frowned, catching him before he passed out and hit the floor. He glanced down at the man from Shiratorizawa. His friends could probably locate him. They needed to move. Picking Watari up Bokuto shifted him to rest on his back, pushing up and hoping that he could manage to carry him. He didn’t want to leave the him unconscious and helpless in the midst of all this chaos.

This was not how things were supposed to go. 

At least the people from Shiratorizawa didn’t seem to be using lethal force.

Bokuto moved as fast as he could, wanting to put as much distance between them and the Reon fellow as possible. Hopefully Oikawa and the others were alright. Bokuto’s thigh hurt, Watari was a dead weight on his back, and he was being hunted by an unknown number of assailants. 

The best he could hope for at this moment was that none of them had gone after Kenma.

Turning a corner he stopped, pulling back just before walking into the middle of a large space surrounded by containers. There was a huge man in front of him, tall with broad shoulders and short brown hair. Fortunately he was looking the other way.

Unfortunately, he was looking straight at Oikawa.

Fuck.

Oikawa was standing over another man who was lying on the ground. Iwaizumi kneeling next to the man. A blond. Not one of Seijou. Someone else then? One of theirs?

“Oikawa Tooru,” the large man between them said. “You should’ve come with us when we asked.”

Oikawa scowled. “You’ve got to be -”

The man raised his hand. That was a gun. Was that a gun? Shit, what had Bokuto thought about nonlethal force?

“Stop,” Oikawa said, pointing at the man at his feet. “He’s fine now, but if you attack us -”

The man shrugged. “He knew the risks,” he said, taking aim.

Suddenly everything seemed to move in slow motion.

Bokuto wanted to drop Watari and run forward, tackle the man before he could get a shot off, but it was too far away. No. This wasn’t how this was supposed to go down. It wasn’t good enough. They were just supposed to hold them off, they were supposed to get away, Oikawa wasn’t a bad guy he was just trying to save kids for fucks sake -

The man pulled the trigger just as Oikawa turned away, then another person ran out between them, arching as he was hit.

“No!” a voice yelled out. “Mattsun, no!”

The body fell to the ground, and everything went silent.


	28. Dawning Realizations

Akaashi sat back, listening to Yukie talk on the phone. She was talking up a storm. Most of the conversation seemed to be utterly inane, but he knew enough to pick up on the coded words woven in amongst the other dialogue. 

The look in Yukie’s eyes as she watched him only confirmed their suspicions that Kaori was the mole.

That was good. One loose end to tie up before anyone else caught on. Soon she’d be safe, and they could figure out who was actually behind this mess. Simple, easy, tied up in a bow.

As soon as Bokuto and Kenma got back.

Frowning, Akaashi pulled out his phone and sent a quick message back to the ship.

/Any word?/

He wasn’t actually expecting anything. Still, he’d waited a whole hour and twenty-seven minutes before asking, and figured that wasn’t too impatient. 

A single word came back. /No./

Frowning Akaashi looked to the side, pushing his phone back into his pocket and splaying his fingers out on his knees. Daichi was typing back and forth on his own phone, smiling occasionally. It irritated Akaashi suddenly, though he squashed the feeling. Daichi might not have lovers out in the wind someplace, but Hinata was a friend. Karasuno was risking him in order to help Oikawa. Hinata was as much at risk as Kenma or Bokuto.

Akaashi just didn’t see why the man had to act so happy.

Squashing the selfish thought before it could make its way onto his face, Akaashi looked up at Yukie.

“Alright,” she said. “I’ll give you her address. I’ve told her to expect you. You can bring her back to my place if you want, she should be safe there. It’s inside the Fukurodani block, and several of our old classmates live in the same section. They’ll help protect her if needed. She is one of us, after all.

Akaashi nodded. “That makes sense,” he said, reaching out for the slip of paper she gave him. It felt strange in his hand. “Paper?”

Yukie shrugged. “Can’t be hacked. Not that I expect it will be a problem, it’s just better safe than sorry,” she said, frowning. “Kaori is a good friend.”

There was worry on her face, and Akaashi felt a pang of sympathy. “We’ll keep her safe,” he said.

Nodding, Yukie said her goodbyes and showed them out the door.

“Most of your fanclub is gone,” Daichi said as they walked through the lobby.

“What?” Akaashi said, glancing over as the other man pointed. “Oh.”

Only one man was left of the four who had been watching him earlier, a tall man with dark black hair. He was still in the same waiting area, playing on his phone. He looked up briefly as they passed through, sharp eyes meeting Akaashi’s. Nothing about his face showed any interest though.

He was probably just someone here from offplanet visiting one of the departments, though why he was there alone -

Well, he probably had some reason. There was nothing to explain the shiver that ran down Akaashi’s spine.

“His friends are probably inside,” Akaashi said. “Besides, I don’t do fanclubs. Such a hassle to keep on top of the dues.”

Daichi laughed, casting him a sideways glance. “I suppose. I’d have to ask Suga about that, though most of his fanclub members are off planet.”

“Off planet?”

“Gamers,” Daichi said, shrugging. “It amuses me. They don’t adore him for his looks but for his code.”

“Must be refreshing,” Akaashi said, shaking his head.

“I know. Then again, that’s Suga all over,” said Daichi, smiling fondly.

Akaashi felt an answering smile tug at his lips, but kept it down. He scanned the area around them for trouble automatically, but didn’t see anyone else suspicious on the way to the bikes.

No more members of his fan club, that was for sure. He wasn’t sure why that made him feel so relieved.

He glanced at the address Yukie had given him, running the location in his mind. He knew the general vicinity. “Do you know where this is?” He asked Daichi, just in case.

Daichi glanced at a moment, then nodded. “Pretty much. You?”

“Yes, though I may need some help when we get closer.”

“You take the lead then,” Daichi said, easing his way onto his bike.

The ride over to Kaori’s place was easy. Several times Akaashi felt like someone was watching him, but he couldn’t pick up any hint of a tail as he watched his mirrors. It was probably just paranoia. Too much stress. Too many things going on.

Two too many people out there in danger.

Sighing, he followed Daichi through the winding streets of Kaori’s neighborhood. The buildings were tall, and they drove into an underground garage, parking the bikes and walking up toward the elevators.

“I can stay here and watch the bikes if you think it would be better,” Daichi offered.

“No, that’s alright,” Akaashi said. “Just as well she meet you too. Oh, I should tell Kuroo what we’re up to.”

He pulled his phone out, hesitating a moment before deciding to just send a message. /Arranged a double date for us with Yukie. Tonight at her place. I’ll text you the address later./

That should be a vague enough message if someone actually was hacking his phone. 

Kenma needed to be back.

Kenma needed to be back, and things needed to be back to normal.

The woman that answered the door of Kaori’s apartment looked just like he remembered. Well, maybe a bit older, a few faint lines, but she smiled the same.

“Hey guys!” She said, welcoming them both in. “Akaashi. Man, it’s good to see you. How have you been?”

“Good. Thank you, Kaori-san,” Akaashi said, fond memories flooding back. “This is Daichi Sawamura. Daichi, this is Suzumeda Kaori.”

“Happy to meet you!” Kaori said. “You can just call me Kaori if you like. Would you two like anything to drink?”

“No thank you,” Daichi said.

Akaashi shook his head. “We should probably get going, Kaori-san. I don’t think anyone is looking for you yet, but it could be dangerous. The faster we get you to safety, the better.”

“Oh,” Kaori said, smile fading a bit. “Oh yeah. I - sorry, I’m so used to not -”

It was the training, Akaashi knew. Kaori looked pure and wholesome, without a hint of guile. She’d undergone the same training as the rest of them, though, and was a natural-born poker player to boot. 

Shrugging, she said, “I guess I don’t really need to take anything. I’ll just grab a jacket.”

She turned to the the closet, opening it up before she looked back at Akaashi. “Can I ask - is Oikawa-san alright?”

There was worry in her eyes. Akaashi wasn’t sure what had motivated Kaori to help Oikawa, but he could tell she was genuinely concerned.

“As far as I know, he’s fine,” Akaashi said. 

“Good,” she said, reaching in and pulling out a leather jacket. “Such a sweet guy. I’d feel awful if something happened to him, especially since -”

Especially since it was her help that led to him being able to steal the shipment in the first place.

Shrugging off that thought, Akaashi looked around the apartment. It was sparsely decorated. A few pictures of flowers. A framed photograph of Yukie’s graduation party. Akaashi remembered that night.

He didn’t remember Kaori being there, but he also remembered being too caught up in his own personal affairs to notice anyone else but Bokuto.

Smiling at the memory he followed the other two into the hall and down to the garage.

“Let her ride with you, Daichi?” Akaashi asked. “You take the lead. I don’t think there’ll be any trouble, but just in case.

Daichi nodded. “That alright with you, miss?”

Kaori laughed, dimples showing in her smile. “You’re a charmer, aren’t you. No, I don’t mind. Just tell me if I get too handsy.”

A bit of color graced Daichi’s cheeks at the, quickly hidden underneath his helmet. He passed the spare helmet over to Kaori and sat, waiting for her to get on behind him.

Akaashi checked his phone for messages. Nothing. No news, no reply.

Sighing he got onto his bike and followed Daichi up the ramp and out onto the street. Maybe whoever was at the controls was just off taking a nap. 

Goodness knew Kunimi needed it.

~~~~~~  
Kuroo finally found Kageyama on the deck. He looked around, silent for a moment as he entered the room. Kageyama was scrubbing at one of the helmets.

From the looks of things, he’d aggressively cleaned almost every piece of equipment on the right side of the room, and was working his way around. Kuroo couldn’t help the low whistle that came out of his mouth. 

A purse of the lips was the only clue that Kageyama had heard him.

“You alright?” Kuroo asked.

“I’m fine,” Kageyama said, voice calm as he finished wiping down the helmet in his hands and set it to the side. He shrugged, then looked over at Kuroo. “Need something?”

“Nah,” Kuroo said, wandering in and sitting down on the bench near Kageyama. “Just wanted to check up on you. Seemed a little tense back there is all.”

“Tense. Yeah. Thats one way to put it.” Kageyama made a face, rubbing a hand through his hair. 

Kuroo just nodded, waiting for the other man to continue.

“I’m not normally like this, you know,” Kageyama finally said. “I mean, I used to be, probably. Things got easier when I got away from all this. Started working for the Confederation. Tsukishima and I aren’t exactly best friends, but we work well together. I don’t even know why I’m telling you this.”

Shrugging, Kuroo said, “Because I’m such a nice guy?”

Kageyama glanced over at him, lips twitching. “Maybe,” he said. “Or maybe.... Well. Lets just say the past few days have almost been like having to relive the worst mistakes of my life. Oikawa, Kunimi, Seijou in general, well. It just reminds me of the worst parts of myself.”

“Oh,” Kuroo said. He really was curious now. “If you don’t mind me asking?”

Kageyama gave a self-depreciating laugh. “Well, let's just say screwing a guy because you desperately want his approval is a bad idea. Especially if you know he’s in love with someone else, but try to convince yourself that he’s fallen for you anyways. And then an even worse idea is to rebound with a good friend who’s finally giving you the time of day after a really ... complicated situation. Lost a lot of friends over that, almost lost my best friend.”

“Wow,” Kuroo said, eyeing the other man. “Well, uh. It could be worse, I guess?”

It could be worse. He knew it.

“Yeah, I know,” Kageyama said, glancing over at him. “You’d know something about that, I guess.”

“Ah, what?”

Kuroo felt a chill go through him as he looked at Kageyama, seeing those blue eyes stare right through him. 

“I overheard your conversation the other day,” Kageyama said, tapping his ear. “I didn’t mean to, not really. But it sounds like you know what it’s like to lose friends too.”

“Lose -” Kuroo said, covering his face, heart catching in his chest. “Yeah, you could say that.”

“You don’t have to tell me,” Kageyama said.

“No, it’s alright,” Kuroo said, sighing. “At least your mistake didn’t end up getting anybody killed.”

“Killed?” Kageyama said, surprised.

Kuroo nodded. “Lost two of my closest friends, all because of a stupid mistake,” he said softly.

Kageyama was quiet for a moment, then said, “I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

“Thanks.”

There was more to it, bad choices compounded by more bad choices. He never thought that they’d follow him here, thought he’d finally gotten distance from them. Kageyama was more right than he thought when he said he’d understand having his worst mistakes shoved in his face.

“Those are the type of guys we’re up against here?” Kageyama said.

“Welcome to my world, kid,” Kuroo murmured. It was true. He wasn’t sure what type of cases Kageyama had handled before this, but he doubted any of them were this bad. “If Daishou really is working against us,” he said, more and more convinced that the snake was here for exactly that reason, “then playing dirty doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what he’s capable of.”

“And it's personal for him,” Kageyama said. “Or well, it sounded personal.”

“Yes,” Kuroo said. It would be, after all that had gone on.

“What makes you happy, Kuroo?” Kageyama asked.

“What?” Kuroo said, feeling like he’d just taken a sucker-punch to the gut as he remembered Daishou’s question. “Kenma. Kenma always makes me happy.”

“He’s not the only one though, is he?”

“No. Bokuto - Kenma and Bokuto are out there -”

Kageyama shook his head. “Daishou’s group isn’t the one after them right now, I’m pretty sure -”

“What? How would you -”

“I just - but then there’s Akaashi too. Though he’s alright, because I’m sure you warned him about Daishou -”

Kuroo felt his mouth go dry. “No,” he said.

“What?”

“No, I didn’t think - I mean, he knows that there are other people out there working on this, of course, but to target him directly -”

Kuroo stood, hands sliding into his hair as he thought about it. Would Daishou know who Akaashi was? Would he even know how important he was?

He’d know. The fucker would know. Know at least that Akaashi was his teammate, know how important teammates were to Kuroo -

“I’ve got to tell him.” Got to go to him - fuck he couldn’t leave - “he’s - they’re picking up Kaori now in case she’s been targeted, but if Daishou is targeting Akaashi -”

“We could be leading him right to her,” Kageyama finished.

“I have to stay with the ship. If Kenma calls -”

“I can go,” Kageyama said. “Just give me their location.” He picked up the helmet he’d just finished polishing and stood.

Kuroo looked at Kageyama, the worry in his veins calming by the solid look in the other’s eyes. “Thanks,” he said.

Kageyama shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “Daichi is there too, and he’s my teammate.”

“Yeah, but still -”

“We’ll get this. Together, right?”

“Yeah. Together.”


	29. A Murder of Crows

Sound was muffled as Kenma followed Yahaba back towards the rear of the building. Cave, really, at this point. Glowstrips on the metal rafters cast a sickly, colorless light over the path in front of him, giving barely enough light to make out the numbers etched on the sides of the containers. It was colder back here. Kenma could feel it in his fingertips, his nose, his ears.

He hated the cold.

“It’s just up ahead here,” Yahaba said, waving a flashlight in front of them. “Here, this one. There’s some working machinery still, so we were able to move things around and hide it here. Hold this, I’ll unlock it.”

Kenma nodded, glancing over where Kyoutani was standing. He ignored Kenma, staring back the way they’d come, a watchful sentinel.

Yahaba tapped against the keypad near the door, and then fiddled a bit with the metal lock underneath before pulling back on the door handle and swinging it open. “Here.”

“Thanks,” Kenma said.

Finally. It was all there.

The container was packed from floor to ceiling with cardboard boxes. They all looked sealed. Kenma debated for a moment how best to proceed, but Yahaba stepped forward.

“We could get one of the boxes down from the top, but you just want to see the contents, right? I figure this is just as easy.”

Yahaba pulled out a boxcutter from his pants and cut a rectangle in the side of one of the boxes, pulling the cardboard away to reveal smaller white boxes inside. He prodded one out and tossed it to Kenma, who looked at the label.

There, in fancy script on the outside of the bottle, was the brand name ‘Clytomestrin’ with DX9-317 written under it in smaller script. It was real. Oikawa had been telling the truth. Well, that was good.

He pulled out the handheld Hinata had lent him and scanned the barcode on the back of the box, opening it up and pulling out the bottle inside. Holding it up to the light Kenma recognized the pills inside. He took a picture of them and saved it to the device, then followed up with a few shots of the interior of the container.

Yahaba frowned as Kenma tucked the bottle into his jacket pocket. “You aren’t supposed to actually take it, are you?”

“They’ll want it as proof, probably,” Kenma said. “If nothing else, it’ll be good to use to compare with the fake medicine they had been giving the kids.”

A scowl twisted the other man’s face, but he shrugged. “Well, take it up with Oikawa, alright? I mean - that bottle could save a kid’s life, maybe.”

“Yeah,” Kenma said, wanting to chuckle at how uncomfortable the man looked for expressing any form of sentimentality. “Well, if this all goes down the way we hope, I’m betting all of the kids that need help will be getting it. From what I know the Confederation doesn’t look kindly upon evidence of governing corporations abusing their powers.”

“I guess,” Yahaba replied, still looking uncertain. “Well, whatever. Are you done here?”

“Almost,” Kenma replied. “I need to access the shipping information in the door of the container itself. Hopefully it’ll match up to the information linked on the warrant. If not -”

There was a grunt and the and a loud clang outside the container. They had company. Yahaba looked at him with wide eyes. “Kyou -”

“Go,” Kenma said, frowning. “This won’t take but a few minutes - hold them off if you can -”

Yahaba nodded, rushing out as Kenma hurried to the door. He linked his handheld up with the box there, listening to the sharp cries and sounds of fighting outside. His priority was the data, though. He tapped his foot as he waited for it to upload, not even checking the results before he slipped out to see what was going on. 

One man with dark hair was lying prone a few yards away. Another had Kyoutani pinned down, though it looked like the blond was giving it all he had. Shifting he managed to twist their positions, banging the man’s head against the ground once before collapsing. From this angle Kenma could see the dark blood matting the back of his head.

So, evidently, could Yahaba, who was grappling with a third assailant - a tall man with crazy fuchsia hair. Kenma started forward, not caring that it would be two on one. Then the man managed to twist and kick Yahaba away into one of the other containers, and turned to look at Kenma, eyes flashing.

Yellow. Light yellow. Fuck.

Kenma’s muscles locked up and he just stood there, glaring at the man who was now holding Yahaba back against the corrugated metal.

“Kozume-san, right?” The man asked, grinning widely. “We’re here to rescue you.”

He was a liar, a liar who turned and punched Yahaba, letting him fall to the ground.

“Tsk tsk,” the man said, looking at Yahaba’s fallen form. “Drug dealers. Am I right?”

He didn’t know. None of them knew - but Kenma hadn’t either. Still, every fiber of his being longed to wipe the smirk off the man’s face. He couldn’t though. Fucking geas. Anakris bastard -

“I’m just curious,” the man continued, “as to why you’d be helping them out. People do all kinds of strange things these days, though. I’m sure you’ll tell us all about it later. But as for now, little Dikastis - check.”

Growling, Kenma tensed as he saw the man’s gaze flick up and away from his face.

“And, mate.”

Kenma started to turn in response to the slight tell but it was too late. A force hit his back, driving him to the ground and leaving a bar of agony in a strip across his skin. He heard his earpiece skitter away, but his worry over it was nothing next to the way pain radiated from the blow. It took him a second to even be able to move his arms, but finally he was able to roll over and look up at his assailant. The man had black hair in a messy bowl cut and was staring down at Kenma, percussive baton held high in his hands.

This one was just human.

This one he could fight. Should be able to fight. The aftereffects of the blow were spreading out though, muscles already starting to lock up. The nanites in his body were scrambled. He knew they’d be weak until they recovered from the dissonance.

They’d known exactly what he was, and waited until he was vulnerable to take advantage of it. This was not good. Hopefully the others were having better luck. He was just thankful he’d been able to transfer the data to Hinata before being attacked.

The man looked down at him, breathing hard, eyes widening like he’d just accomplished something amazing. He wasn’t done yet though. Giving Kenma a sharp grin he raised the baton for another blow. Kenma tried curling to block it, eyes narrowing in anticipation.

Then his heart almost stopped, because he saw a ghost.

A green-eyed, grey-haired ghost crouching on top of the shipping container behind them. The ghost was grinning, and looked so pleased with himself that Kenma wanted to yell at him just out of reflex.

But you didn’t yell at ghosts.

Kenma had never even seen a ghost before. 

Maybe he’d hit his head on the ground hard enough to start seeing things. Something in his face must've caused his assailant uncertainty though, because he hesitated, looking over at his friend instead of swinging the baton. That was just fine with Kenma.

Especially since the ghost was diving right at them.

~~~~~

The world had stopped.

Mattsun was lying flat on the concrete floor.

Makki was running for him like his life depended on it.

Oikawa heard someone yelling out. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t move, because Iwazumi in front of him holding him back, and he was the one yelling.

This was all his fault. All his idea. Makki was reaching out for him-

And then Mattsun screamed.

His body arched up off the ground. Makki finally got to him, grabbed his hand - and then he was screaming too, trying to pull back, unable to let go.

Their screams was only for a second, but it felt like forever. Oikawa dug his nails into Iwaizumi’s shoulders, trying to push him out of the way. These were his people, damnit. His responsibility and they were moaning, Hanamaki curling over on his side, and it was all his fault.

“Sorry about that,” the tall man - Ushijima, Oikawa was betting - said. “I have no wish to cause unnecessary pain, but I do have to ask that you stop moving if you care about the wellbeing of your friends.

Oikawa growled and tried again to get out of Iwazumi’s grasp

Ushijima just moved his hand and the pair on the floor were crying out again.

“Stay still, dumbass,” Iwazumi hissed.

Oikawa didn’t need those words, though. He was pretty sure that the image of his two best friends lying on the floor, squeezing each others hands and trying not to cry, would be etched into his brain forever.

He’d done this.

“Don’t worry,” Ushijima said. “It’s just a variation on a net that targets the nerves. Nonlethal, and no lasting effects at the level and duration they’ve currently experienced. They’ll be fine. As long as you choose to cooperate. Semi, are you injured?”

The man on the ground next to Oikawa and Iwaizumi rolled over and stood, shaking his head. “I’m fine,” he said.

“Good. Well, this should be simple enough now. Just -”

Ushijima frowned, shaking his head irritably as a crow dove at his head, moving past. “More illusions. Whoever you are, stop this. It’s useless. We’ve won, just - what -”

Another crow dove at him. This one hit his chest, collapsing into a fine powder that he brushed off. “Stop this -”

There was another, then another. Ushijima seemed to be more and more irritated, but he wasn’t using the device. Oikawa held his breath. 

“If you don’t stop I’ll be forced to - ow!”

The crow that time was more than just an illusion. It hit Ushijima’s hand, knocking the device onto the floor. Ushijima reached down to get it but then another crow came flying low along the floor, bursting into powder and making the device skid backwards towards where Bokuto was standing.

Beside Oikawa, Iwaizumi smiled. “He did it,” he murmured.

“What?”

“Hinata. He’s been working on comboing those light-bots of his with something more substantial, a directed projectile. It’s tricky because of the weight, but he got it to work.”

There was a thump on the ground as Hinata jumped down from his perch, rolling with the landing and ending up in a crouch a few feet from Ushijima. Uncurling himself he stood, staring straight at the taller man.

“Stop Hurting. My friends,” Hinata growled, purpose emanating from every line of his being.

Taken aback, Ushijima was glared at him. “Who in the world are you? You aren’t on the roster of Seijou members.”

“You’re right. I’m not. But they are my friends, and if you wanna hurt them, you’re going to have to go through me first.”

“Alright,” Ushijima said, shrugging.

“Bring it on, then.”

Oikawa glanced over and saw the man called Semi watching the two.

He looked at Oikawa and shrugged. “We can fight if you want. It’s not really worth the effort.”

Oikawa huffed and looked back at Mattsun and Makki. They were curled up together now, brushing at each other’s clothes. He wanted to go to them, but Iwaizumi was still holding him fast.

“We already know we can beat you,” Iwaizumi said to Semi. “But it doesn’t seem like your boss cares if you get hurt or not, so there’s not much use.”

Semi stiffened. “He cares,” he said. “He just knows he’s going to win.”

“I wouldn’t count on that,” Iwaizumi said. “After all, you’ve never seen chibi-chan fight.”

~~~~~~~~~

Bokuto stared at the device in his hands, wishing he knew how to turn it off. He was scared of pressing anything though. Scared of hurting the two on the floor.

“Are you still out of it?” He said, turning his head towards Watari. The man was drooling on his shoulder. Bokuto sighed, watching as the tall man and Hinata start to face off. He was worried about the kid. Worried what other tricks the man had up his sleeve. Wondered if they were worse than the torture device Bokuto now held.

Reaching up he touched his earpiece. “Kenma?” He said, hoping the other would have some idea.

Oikawa looked at him sharply from across the way, and he saw Hinata glance at him.

No Kenma, though.

Fuck.

Oikawa raised his hand to his ear and opened the channel. “Can you make your way over here?” He asked.

“Yeah,” Bokuto said, “I’m just not sure what to do with this.”

“We don't know who all else is out there,” Oikawa said, glancing at the stranger standing next to him. “Just get over here while Hinata’s distracting Ushijima.”

So that’s who the tall man was.

Bokuto nodded, shifting Watari on his back and starting to edge around the rim of containers circling the space, watching the fight in front of him.

They’d evidently decided to fight hand to hand. Ushijima was faster than Bokuto expected, throwing punches at Hinata then whirling around to block the redhead’s kicks. Hinata was faster though, dancing out of his reach and landing a few short sharp punches. Bokuto was almost in awe. It almost reminded him of those old nature documentaries Akaashi liked to watch, where Ushijima was a bear, and Hinata was -

He didn’t know, a badger? A coyote? Something small and fast and jumpy and oh wow objectively terrifying.

Ushijima hissed, pulling back after Hinata landed a sharp blow to his side, eyes narrowed. “Fleas should just stay in their place,” he said.

Hinata just grinned and darted in for another hit.


	30. On City Streets

Akaashi wasn’t really expecting any trouble on the drive back to the ship. The roads were clear, only a few other vehicles present. Daichi and Kaori’s bike sped on ahead of him, weaving in and out of the light traffic. He could hear them talking softly through the signal that connected their helmets, but didn’t really feel the need to join in.

“How long have you been on Aoba 5, Kaori?”

“Just a couple of years.”

“Really? How do you like it?”

“It’s pretty nice, actually. Lots of greenery.”

The feeling of his phone buzzing against his leg distracted him for a moment. It was probably just Kunimi answering him back. The phone kept buzzing a few more times though, and he frowned, wishing they hadn’t just gotten onto the freeway so that he could check his messages. Ah well.

“Do you miss your family?” Daichi asked.

“What? Oh, no, I’m a Fukurodani Creche kid. But a couple of the boys I grew up with went to the academy with me, and they’re posted out here too, so that’s kinda like family.”

“I see, I see. Some of my friends are creche kids too.”

“Really? That’s pretty neat. I’d like to meet them.”

Akaashi smiled. Daichi was really good at putting Kaori at ease. She liked to talk about her experiences growing up in the creche. He remembered her, Onaga, and Washio sharing stories about their times working in the garden with the rest of their birth group, getting into trouble and staying up all night reading each other stories from their training books. It was so different than Akaashi’s childhood, growing up surrounded by siblings and cousins and mothers in a city commune. 

He missed his mom, and his aunties. He should make time to see them after this job was over. They loved Bokuto, maybe he could take Kuroo and Kenma over to see them. He wondered if they liked kids.

His train of thought was interrupted by a grey and green cycle cutting through the gap between a car and a truck in front of him. 

“I hate to interrupt,” Akaashi said, “But we may have company. It may be nothing.”

“Alright,” Daichi said.

Maybe the rider was just rude. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe -

Glancing into his mirrors he saw two more cycles behind him, same colors as the first. That wasn’t normal.

The cycle in front of him slowed down and Akaashi darted to the side, speeding up to get closer to Daichi. “Come over to the left one lane. We can get off the freeway and lose them in the streets.”

Daichi didn’t say anything in response, just shifted over. 

The other cyclists followed, confirming Akaashi’s suspicions that this wasn’t random.

Worst case scenario, the cyclists would try get rid of them by causing a wreck or attacking. If they knew who Kaori was, they might want to just take her out. That didn’t seem to be the case though, at least they hadn’t started shooting yet. Another possibility, one that Akaashi found far more likely, was that they wanted to capture her and find out exactly what she’d done.

That bothered him.

“Daichi - if they follow us out on the streets, do everything you can to lose them. If that means we have to split up, do it anyway. You know these streets better than I do. Kaori’s safety is our first priority.”

“What?” Kaori said. “No, no way Akaashi. We’re not splitting up -”

“Understood,” Daichi said, ignoring Kaori’s protests. 

For a moment, Akaashi wished that Kaori was on his bike, so that he could make sure she would be safe, but that thought went away quickly. Daichi could be trusted. Akaashi knew the streets well from all the cases he’d worked with Bokuto in the city, but Daichi was native. Daichi would have tricks up his sleeve that Akaashi wouldn’t even dream of.

Akaashi was close enough behind Daichi that the lead cyclist couldn’t get between them again. Instead he pulled up between the cars next to Akaashi’s right, glancing over. Another one was right on his tail. He wondered who they were. He couldn’t’ see a thing through the rider’s helmet. 

Not that it mattered. 

Whoever they were, they weren’t friendly.

Daichi suddenly shifted over into the far lane, taking the exit at the last minute followed quickly by Akaashi. He’d hoped that they would lose their tail that way.

It seemed like it had worked with at least one of the riders, because he only saw two following them down off the ramp and into the city streets. Daichi quickly turned onto a busy thoroughfare, weaving in and out of the stalled traffic. Their swift passage earned loud remarks from angry drivers, but Akaashi didn’t care. He just wanted to lose the tail.

They ducked down onto another side street, and then another, Daichi threading through the maze of buildings and alleyways before them. He’d been right to let the man take the lead. Glancing behind, Akaashi drew in a breath when he didn’t see either of the cycles behind him. 

Maybe they’d lost them. Finally.

Then a cycle shot out in front of Akaashi, stopping in the middle of the road. Akaashi swerved to miss it, cursing as he lost his balance and ended up lying in the street.

“Akaashi?” Kaori cried out, looking back.

“I’m fine, I’m fine, just go!”

“Be safe. We’ll be back for you,” Daichi said, taking him at his word. 

Akaashi tried lifting the bike up, but the person who’d stopped in front of him took out a gun and pointed it at him.

That made no sense. Kaori was getting away. What would they want with him?

“I wouldn’t move if I were you,” someone said from behind him. Turning he looked up and saw one of the other cyclists, who’d removed his helmet. It was one of the men who’d been watching him at headquarters, the one with black hair. “My friend has good aim, but he gets a little excited sometimes.”

The cyclist with the gun scoffed. “Just do it already. Stop being dramatic.”

“Fine, fine,” the dark-haired man said, pulling out what looked like a gun from behind his back. “Now, don’t worry, Akaashi. This won’t hurt a bit. Well, probably.”

What wouldn’t -

Akaashi tried to roll out from under the bike as the man raised the weapon and aimed it at him. There was a puff, then he felt a sharp sting in his right chest. Liar. It hurt. It hurt a lot. He looked down, expecting to see blood, but there was just a thin cylinder sticking out from his jacket.

It hurt though. Hurt and then it was numb.

Then everything started to go numb.

“Who -” he started.

They knew his name.

Things were starting to get blurry. 

They knew his name. They’d been targeting him, not Kaori. 

Well that was a relief. Maybe they didn’t know about her. Maybe -

But then he didn't care about maybes anymore, because everything went black.

~~~~

Kuroo was freaking out. He knew it, objectively. Knew it and didn’t care. Akaashi wasn’t picking up his phone. He’d called at least ten times. He knew, he knew that it was a possibility that Akaashi just couldn’t answer the phone for normal reasons, but that didn’t stop the worry that was slowly eating him alive.

“I’m sorry, Kuroo,” Kunimi said softly. “For some reason I can’t track his phone.”

Kuroo glanced over at him, pausing in his pacing. He nodded, lips closing around the words that wanted to escape. Kunimi was good. Kunimi was doing his best. None of this was Kunimi’s fault. 

The other man flinched anyways, almost like he could read Kuroo’s thoughts. It reminded him of Kenma on some of their worst days, and suddenly his worry was twinned with an overwhelming longing to have his lover back at his side. This was impossible.

Suddenly his phone rang.

“Yes?” He answered, trying not to be over-eager.

“Kuroo,” the voice on the other end of the line said. Not Akaashi. Fuck. Daichi. “We have a problem.”

“What?”

“A group of cyclists started tailing us after we picked up Kaori. They followed us into the city. Kaori was with me, so she’s safe. I’ve got her back at our nest, a couple of my people are with her now.”

“Akaashi?” Kuroo asked, feeling like he knew the worst.

“They split us up. I’m sorry. I thought I’d lost them, but they caught up somehow and cornered him. I’m about to go back out and try and find a trail, or something.”

Something.

Something could be a body.

Kuroo could feel his heart beating faster, mind flashing back to the reports of bodies - body parts - lost friends - all his fault. All his fault again.

“Kuroo?” Daichi asked, worry in his voice.

“Yeah. Sorry. Yeah, that sounds good. Kageyama should be there shortly. We - we got worried something would happen.”

“Oh,” Daichi said. “Well - I can wait for him, if he’s here soon.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

Kuroo looked around, seeing the worry on Kindaichi and Kunimi’s faces. He ran a hand through his hair, and sighed. 

Fuck protocols.

“Look, I’m gonna come down to the nest to meet with Kaori, alright? We can join up and see ... and decide what to do next from there, after you look around.”

“Alright,” Daichi said, voice softer. “Again, I’m sorry.”

“It happens,” Kuroo said. “You protected the witness. That was the first priority.”

“Yeah, I know but -”

“Yeah.”

“Kageyama’s here, I’ve got to go.”

Kuroo nodded, not caring that Daichi couldn’t see him. He’d hung up the phone anyway. Frowning, he turned to the other two on the bridge.

“We think someone may have taken Akaashi. Do everything you can to find him, even if it opens us up.”

“Got it,” Kunimi said, turning immediately to his screen.

“Do you,” Kindaichi said, standing. “Can I -”

“You can’t leave here,” Kuroo said, managing the ghost of a smile for the younger man. “Your job right now is to stay here and keep the ship safe. Keep Kunimi safe. Can you manage that? I’m going to go out in the city and see - and find him.”

Kindaichi swallowed, nodding.

Glancing around, Kuroo turned and left the bridge.

What a difference a few days made. A few days ago, they’d been enemies. A few days ago, hours really, Kenma had been tracking down Kunimi using that same equipment.

Now he was going to entrust them with the ship.

Life was strange.

He went to the deck and got suited up before heading out towards Karasuno’s nest.

Things looked different in the daytime. Different. The colors were washed out against the gray of the concrete. Imperfections hidden by the night were glaringly obvious in the light of day. Night was so much easier.

The tall man who’d been guarding the door the first night he came to the club waved at him when he got close, directing him around to the back to the garage. A shorter man with a wild hairstyle opened the door and guided him inside. 

“Kuroo, right?” The short man said.

“Yeah. Sorry I don’t remember your name.”

“Nishinoya,” the man said, “Nishinoya Yuu. But you can just call me Noya. Everyone does.”

Kuroo nodded, numb. He checked his phone again. Nothing.

He followed Noya into the club and down a few hallways into a common area. There was a woman curled up in a chair in the seating area, a mug in her hands. She looked like she’d been crying.

A man with a buzzcut sat next to her, awkwardly patting her back.

“Tanaka,” Noya said. “This is Kuroo.”

The man looked up. “Oh yeah, I remember you. You’re with -”

“You’re one of Akaashi’s friends?” The woman blurted out, looking at him.

“I am, yeah,” Kuroo replied, voice gentle. “You’re Kaori?”

“I am. I’m so sorry -”

“Hey, hey, it’s not your fault,” Kuroo said.

“It is though, if they hadn’t been coming to get me, if I hadn't -”

“Shh, shh,” Tanaka said, biting his bottom lip. “It’s not your fault. Everything’s going to be alright.”

She broke out into a fresh round of sobs anyway.

It wasn’t her fault. Kuroo exchanged glances with Noya.

“She’s been like that ever since she came in,” the shorter man said.

Kuroo just nodded. He couldn’t do anything for her. 

The buzz of his phone distracted him from his worry. Glancing at the caller ID he felt hope blossom in his heart. “Akaashi?” He said, answering the phone.

He was greeted by a long low chuckle. “I’m so glad I caught you,” said the voice on the other end of the line.

Not Akaashi.

Kuroo leaned against the closest chair, falling into it.

“Daishou,” he growled.

“In the flesh,” Daishou said. “Though I suppose my earlier statement is a little inaccurate, considering that it wasn’t you that I caught, but your pretty teammate. Funny how you’re always losing members of your team, isn’t it?”

“If you hurt him -”

“I’m not planning to. Not yet, anyways. I don’t actually like hurting your teammates, Kuroo.”

“Liar.”

“Not at all.”

“Then what do you want?”

“This,” Daishou said. “You. Angry. Suffering. Beaten.”

Kurro just growled.

“Are you crying yet? No, you wouldn’t be, not yet. Maybe later. I hope I get to see it if you do.”

Not bothering to answer that, Kuroo just tried to catch his breath. It would do him no good to lose his temper with this man. Exploiting weakness was all he ever seemed to want to do.

“What do you want,” Kuroo said again, feeling calm anger slip over him.

“Well, I have a job to do, just like anyone else,” Daishou said. “And I am pretty certain that you and your team have been working at cross purposes to me. Not nice of you. Breaking the rules like that always gets you into trouble, you know? Of course you do.”

Kuroo bit back a reply.

“So, really, this call is just - well, I guess you could say, it’s a courtesy call, to let you know that your teammate - Akaashi’s his name, right? Is safe and sound with us. I’ll keep him alive, don’t worry. Well, for now at least. I’ll talk with you more about him later.”

“Daishou -”

“Always lovely talking to you, Kuroo. Take care now. I wouldn’t want anyone else to cause you any pain.”

Kuroo drew in a breath, and then stared at the phone. He’d hung up. He tried calling him back, but of course it just went straight to voicemail.

Daishou had Akaashi.

Kuroo’s fingertips went cold, fear washing over him. He had to keep it together. Couldn’t lose it now. He had to figure out how to find them, get Akaashi back.

The sound of more people entering the room made him glance up. It was Daichi and Kageyama. He met Kageyama’s gaze, watching the man’s expression change in reaction to whatever was showing on Kuroo’s face.

“Daishou,” Kuroo said. “Daishou’s got him.”

Kageyama clinched his jaw and nodded. “I’ll go tell Tsukishima.”

Kuroo nodded. The more resources pulled in on this, the better.

He wanted - he wanted Kenma.

Oh. Oh no.

What was he going to tell Bokuto.


	31. When the Crow Flies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I just take a minute to say how much I really appreciate all the kudos and views and especially the comments? (oh wow the comments some of them i just - thank you so much!) I'm really glad that you guys are enjoying this, and it means a lot to /know/ it. Hope you're having a great day, enjoy the chapter!

Lev. It was Lev. Lev was dead, how could Lev be here, now.

But he was.

Lev was the one who jumped down, knocking the black-haired man to the side before grabbing him. The man fought back but he was quickly overpowered. He was only human, after all, and Lev, well. Lev was exceptional even among the Dikastis, at least where physical ability was concerned.

Lev ended up with with one arm around the black-haired man’s throat, squeezing his the hand that still held the percussive baton so that he was forced to drop it to the floor. 

“Kenma-san! We found you!” Lev said, smiling down.

“Lev?” Kenma managed to say, blinking up at him.

“Yes,” said another ghost, walking out of the darkness next to the shipping container. 

Kenma was dumbfounded. “Yaku?” He said, gaping at his friend. The sight of them made chest hurt, mind trying to wrap itself around their appearance. He’d read the report, checked and double checked the evidence, been to their funeral, remembered them every day since -

“You’re not dead,” he whispered.

Yaku stared down at him for a second, face impassive, before switching his gaze to the the person behind Kenma.

“Check and mate, I think you called it?” Yaku said. There was a sinister smile on his face and he reached down, picking up the percussive baton. “Personally, I think that’s an appropriate description.

Kenma turned, wincing as the muscles in his back started to relax, and watched the face of the fuchsia-haired man. The tables really were turned now. He looked equal parts angry and worried, especially when Yaku turned the percussive baton back on.

“You know,” Yaku said, “I’m not sure what your friend was planning to do with this, but I’ve always wanted to test one out.”

“Stop,” the man said, tensing as he tried to start forward.

“Not so fun when you’re on the other end, is it?” Yaku said. “I mean, neat idea the makers had, stopping us from being able to war against each other and all, but when your allies are only human, well.”

The man in Lev’s grasp made a little sound as Yaku moved the baton closer to his body, struggling against the tall man’s arms.

“I said stop, ok? What do you want?”

“I don’t know. What do we want?” Yaku said, looking at Kenma.

He wanted so much. He wanted to hold onto Yaku and make sure he was real, or even hug Lev. And Kuroo - oh wow, Kuroo, he had to -

But first things first.

“Cuffs,” he said. “Then check on the other two.”

Yaku just nodded, turning the baton back off and hooking it to his belt before gesturing at Lev. The tall man was almost gentle as he cuffed the black-haired man’s hands behind his back, pushing him to sit by one of the containers. The fuchsia-haired man relaxed at that, obediently turning and allowing himself to be cuffed before sitting beside his friend.

Finally Kenma indulged himself, going over and putting his hands on Yaku’s arms. He was solid. He was alive.

“How?” he asked, watching a myriad of emotions play out on Yaku’s face.

“We didn’t die,” Yaku said softly, kneeling down and checking Yahaba’s pulse while Lev went over to check on Kyoutani. “Lev saw the explosion coming. Not soon enough to warn everybody, but he pulled me out of the way, and we got to shelter in time. Well, almost. My foot got crushed under debris at the edge of the blast. He had to cut it off, and then he carried me back into the hills where we laid low for a few days while the enemy passed through. Some locals found us after that, but well. You remember how primitive they were. No electronics, no cars, no way to contact the outside. Hell, we didn’t even speak the language. By the time we got back to civilization and talked with the team, you and Kuroo were long gone.”

“Oh,” Kenma said, glancing down at Yaku’s leg.

“I’m better now,” Yaku said, patting Yahaba and standing up. “He’ll be fine. But yes, as soon as we got clear they shipped us back to Aleph. The Zoai genetanks are incredible. Took a while, but they were able to regrow everything. I spent the last few months in therapy. Hijacked some of your old code to look for you. We didn’t have any luck until you tripped a net I placed around one of the gaming companies.”

“I didn’t even notice,” Kenma said, glancing away. “That’s why - all the weird traces of my code that started showing up -”

“Well,” Yaku said, brushing his hands together, “It was your code. I was just using it.”

Kenma looked down, lost in thought until Yaku grabbed his shoulders. “Wha?”

“You left us, Kenma.” Yaku said, anger stewing in his eyes. His hands were tight, almost painfully tight.

“I -”

“You left them. You left your team.”

“They were going to - Kuro -”

“You left!”

Kenma felt sick to his stomach. He had left. He’d remembered them, every day, remembered all of them. He'd mourned, lost himself in darkness so deep there were some days Kuro could barely drag him out of it - but he had left.

And if faced with the same choice, he would leave again.

“I’m sorry,” he finally said, looking deep in the eyes of one of his best friends. “I missed you.”

Yaku opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something more. Instead he opted to hug Kenma to him, arms vice-tight. Kenma took it. He wrapped his hands around Yaku’s back, resting his head against his shoulder. Yaku was alive. Lev was alive. Lev was alive and patting his hair, and for once Kenma didn’t actually mind.

“Um,” said the fuchsia-haired man, “This reunion is all very touching and all, but are we just gonna sit around all day?”

“Shut up,” Kenma told him.

“Yeah, where’s Kuroo, Kenma-san? I want to see Kuroo,” Lev said.

“He’s not here,” Kenma said, turning back towards the container and the handheld. 

“What?” Yaku asked.

“I have to call him. I have to let him know you two -”

“No!” Yaku yelled, grabbing Kenma and pushing him against the container. “No calling him. No telling him. I want to see the look on his face when -”

“He has to know!” Kenma yelled back. “He has to, Yaku. Do you have any idea how much he’s -”

“Uh,” Lev said, “Guys?”

Kenma glanced over at their prisoners, who were looking far too interested in this conversation for Kenma’s tastes.

Lowering his voice, Kenma looked back at Yaku. “He didn’t do it, ok? Not like they said, it was - he got -”

Yaku’s face twisted up in anger, and his voice came out in a growl. “He can tell that to me to my face, then. But you don’t get to take this from me. You left. I get to tell him myself, and see his reaction myself. We spent months - and Lev almost -”

Kenma couldn’t find any words. His stomach was tying up in knots, caught in between the most important person to him in all the worlds and two of his best friends, friends he’d thought lost forever.

Slowly, Yaku calmed down. “He’s waited this long,” he finally said. “He can wait a little while longer. You will do this for me. If you’re right, I’ll see it in his face, and I’ll know. But you owe me this much, at least. You owe us.”

Kenma looked down, slowly nodding in agreement. “Alright,” he whispered.

Lev was rubbing his back again. It was annoying, but it was wonderful, because Lev was alive.

On the ground next to them, Yahaba slowly stirred and looked up. “What did I miss?” 

~~~~~~~~

Bokuto froze as he felt the sharp pressure of a gun in his side.

“You know,” a voice said behind him, “I’m not sure what everyone else is doing, but you should realize we’re still going to take you in. Dead or alive.”

Dragging his eyes away from the fight in front of him, Bokuto carefully turned his head, meeting the gaze of the brown-haired man behind him.

“Give me the control. Now,” the man said, eyes cool and almost bored.

He wanted to fight back. “I can’t let you hurt them -”

“Would you prefer I just shoot you and pick it up from the ground? Or I could shoot this friend you’re carrying around here. No skin off my nose.”

Bokuto swallowed, feeling the gun pulled back from his side. “No,” he murmured, looking over again to where Hinata and Ushijima were fighting. Clenching his jaw, he handed the device to the man behind him.

“That wasn’t so hard, was it,” the man said. 

Bokuto waited for the man to press a button, for Hanamaki and Matsukawa to start screaming again so that Hinata would back off.

Instead, the man just stood there.

Bokuto glanced back, puzzled.

“Hmm?” The man said. “Oh. I wouldn’t want to interrupt Ushijima’s fight. We’ll take care of the rest of you after it’s over.”

Somehow, that wasn’t very comforting.

~~~~~~~~

Hinata was having a blast.

He loved the feeling of adrenaline spiking through him, hands tingled from each time he’d been able to land a solid hit on the giant in front of him. A real giant, really. Tall and angry and faster than he should be but Hinata loved it.

A part of him - the grown up, professional part of him - was still cataloguing the situation around him. He saw everyone through the lenses of his goggles. Noticed what time it was, how long ago his upload had concluded. Estimated in his head how long it would take to get a reply.

None of that really mattered though, when a huge fist was swinging at him and he had to arch back just to make sure it didn’t connect with his face. 

“Gwahh!” He yelled out, feeling his hands touch the concrete floor as he pushed off, rolling out of the way of the follow-up punch. 

This was so fucking awesome.

He needed to do this more often. Sure, he got to fight - spar really - but this guy was bigger than most of the people he got in the ring with. Iwaizumi was faster and his punches hurt like a bitch but not like this guys. Besides, Ushijima really meant it.

Hinata wanted to giggle as he pushed himself to his feet and danced out of the way. He was smiling, he knew it, could tell how much it irritated the other man. 

He didn’t really fucking care.

The man was cruel and thoughtless and ignorant and -

BAM! 

\- it really felt good to make a solid kick to the guy’s midsection, even if all Ushijima did was grunt and stagger back a moment. 

The man was the type of fighter that liked to stay in one place, watching as Hinata circled around. He probably thought that Hinata would get tired at some point. Probably thought that the hits he’d manage to land on Hinata’s body would slow him down. Hinata knew better. He was used to taking hits, used to bruises and bumps and sometimes even sprains. He’d fought with broken fingers and bloody lips and all sorts of injuries. And that, more often than not, was against people Hinata would feel bad about actually hurting.

Not this guy.

Hinata hissed as the man grazed his side. He grabbed at Ushijima's arm and used the momentum to land another punch to the side of his face, feeling the impact jar all the way through his gloves and up his arm. The man glared at him and kicked out, catching Hinata’s legs and making him stumble as he tripped back. 

“Wowzers,” Hinata said, jumping to avoid the Ushijima’s lunge. 

Damn, but this was fun. He’d almost be sad when it had to end.

A blinking light in the bottom left of his goggles alerted him, and he danced back, pushing off as he jumped to land with a backflip on the top of a container behind him.

“Running away now, little flea? Giving up?” Ushijima snarled, wiping blood away from his cheek.

“Nope, sorry, sec,” Hinata said, pulling out his phone as it started to ring. “Gotta take this.”

Ushijima did not look impressed. He narrowed his eyes. “You’re taking a phone call in the middle of a fight.”

Hinata just shrugged, nodding as he listened to the voice on the phone. “Mmmhmm. Yeah. Ok good. Yeah, I’ll tell him. Thanks, Kiyoko! Ah, or should that be Shimizu-san now? Yeah, ok. Well, thank you.” He ended the call and looked down at the screen, a smug smile on his face.

“What in the world was so important -”

“Ok!” Hinata said, looking around. He grinned, spotting Kenma and a few others as they shuffled up behind Oikawa. Thank goodness. “I have good news and bad news.”

Ushijima glared at him. “Good news and bad news.”

“Yeah, well. First, I guess I should answer your earlier question. My name,” he said, taking a bow and not wincing as he felt a twinge in his shin from where Ushijima had landed a kick earlier, “is Hinata Shouyou, Special Agent of the Confederation of Planets Legal Division.”

Looking unimpressed, Ushijima said, “You are an agent.”

“Yep, that’s right.” Granted, his confirmation had only officially come through two hours ago, and he’d still have to go through some sort of ceremony to get his badge, but Ushijima didn’t need to know that. It still counted.

The tall man looked him up and down in disbelief. Hinata just grinned, not caring at the moment if the man believed him or not. “I am. Ok, so the good news is that we don’t have to fight anymore - well, unless you really want to, that was a hell of alot of fun, but anyways. The bad news is that your warrant for the Seijou group has been deemed invalid, and any further action taken by you to attack, injure, or detain Oikawa Tooru or his associates may cause your Hunting Licence to be revoked.”

That made Ushijima pause.

“Check, if you want. You should have received an official notice by now.”

Sighing, the giant pulled his out his phone and frowned at the screen, thick fingers swiping over the glass. Irritation melting away into a look of serious concentration. “They didn’t steal the narcotics,” he said.

“Nope! And as of now, they’re assisting the Confederation in an ongoing investigation.”

Ushijima just nodded, flicking a few more times. “The warrant was obtained under false pretenses.”

“Yep!”

“Hmm,” Ushijima said, thinking a moment before he shrugged and looked around. “Fair enough.”

The full amount of the bounty offered would be their now, Hinata knew, payable by whoever had issued the warrant in the first place. He had a feeling that it wouldn’t go well for whoever it was if they tried to cheat Ushijima out of his money.

“Alright,” Ushijima said, “Let's go ahead and get packed up.”

“Not so fast!” Oikawa said, stepping forward and pointing down at Matsukawa and Hanamaki. “Fix my people.”

Hinata wanted to chuckle at the look of irritation that crossed Ushijima’s face. He looked over at the man standing behind Bokuto and waved his hand. “Shirabu,” he said.

The man stepped forward with a nod, tapping the device in his hands as he came over to the two men still curled up on the floor.

“Is that all?” Ushijima asked.

Kenma shuffled forward, tugging his jacket around him. “No,” he said. “Some of us require transportation back to the city.”

“And who are you?” Ushijima asked.

Kenma just glanced back at a fuchsia haired man behind him, who shrugged, hands bound behind his back.

“This is Kozume-san,” the man said, bemused smile on his face.

“The Fukurodani agent who was kidnapped,” Ushijima said, frowning down at Kenma.

The blond looked down, shrugging. “Yes. Some of your people are injured, and some of ours as well. They need medical attention that we don't have here, and your ship is the fastest transportation here.”

“But Kenma-san - “ a tall, grey-haired stranger said, crying out as he was hushed by the shorter man next to him. “Fine, fine.”

Kenma didn’t seem to notice, he just looked up, eyes clear as he stared at Ushijima. “We need to get back.”

The tall man stared down at him a moment, then shrugged. "I suppose it never hurts to have Fukurodani owe us a favor, especially after this debacle.”

Kenma nodded, turning to shuffle over to Bokuto. The blond looked exhausted.

They all did.

Hinata sat on the edge of the container, swinging his legs back and forth as he surveyed the people below. Hanamaki and Matsukawa looked good now, hugging an apologetic Oikawa. Iwaizumi was talking in a low voice to Yahaba. As far as he could tell, everyone was alive, and no one was trying to kill each other.

Not bad for the end of his first mission as an agent. Not bad at all.

Just wait till he told Kageyama.


	32. Snakes in the Grass

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: snakes for the second part of this chapter... if you're phobic I've put a summary in the end notes that you can skip to. 
> 
> Also, thanks to the yahooligans for the name(s) of the snake ^_^ (they also named Kyoutani's dog for me, btw).

Kuroo couldn’t calm down.

They’d moved into the conference room where he’d first met Ukai and the others. Sugawara was there. He’d brought them tea. Kaori had finally calmed down, though Tanaka was still glued to her side. If Kuroo had been in a better mood he might have laughed at the guy’s apparent crush on the girl. They suited each other though. He didn’t know Kaori well, but she probably deserved to have someone treat her kindly right now.

Accepting a cup of tea from Sugawara with thanks, Kuroo looked around the table. Daichi was checking something on a monitor at the far end of the room. Noya had gone out to help Asahi. Kageyama was still gone.

Taking a deep breath, Kuroo figured it was up to him to start asking Kaori questions about the case.

“I’m glad you’re alright,” he said, trying not to wince at the guilt in her eyes as she looked up at him. “I mean - we all are. You did a brave thing.”

Why she hadn’t just told her other friends, he didn’t know.

Maybe she’d been swept up by Oikawa’s charisma. Who knew.

“I wonder if -”

High heels clicking on concrete floors sounded from the hallway. Kuroo turned as the door opened behind him. A woman with long straight black hair and glasses walked in, dressed to the nines. 

“Kiyoko!” Sugawara said, warmth in his voice.

The woman nodded, then stepped in, followed closely by Tsukishima and Kageyama. “I felt it was about time for us to pay you a visit,” she said, walking over to Kuroo and sticking out her hand. “I’m Shimizu Kiyoko. Nice to meet you.”

“Kuroo Tetsurou,” he said, “likewise.”

He glanced over at Kageyama, raising an eyebrow in question.

“Hmm?” Kiyoko said, glancing back at him. “Ah. I suppose I should also tell you that I work for the Confederation of Planets as well.”

“She’s their boss,” Sugawara said, coming over to sit next to Kuroo.

“Well, yes, I am,” she said.

She came around to sit at the head of the table, allowing Kageyama to take the seat next to Kuroo while Tsukishima sat next to Tanaka.

“After what Kageyama told me,” Kiyoko continued, “I figured it was about time we paid you a visit. Hinata has been making progress on his end, and now that you have the witness in custody - ah, you don't mind if I call you that, do you? - it’s about time that we start to act more officially in this investigation.”

“Hinata?” Kuroo asked, watching as Kaori simply nodded in response to Kiyoko’s question. 

“Yes,” she replied. “He’s been working basically undercover. I mean, Daichi knew, and I’m pretty sure that Bokuto and Akaashi knew that Hinata was in the process of becoming an agent. However we thought it best to hold off on any official announcement of his status until we had a clearer picture of how this case would play out. As you know, cases involving corporations like Fukurodani must be handled, well. Delicately.”

Kuroo looked at Kageyama and he just shrugged, a slightly embarrassed expression on his face. He’d known too. Thinking back on his conversations with the other man, Kuroo caught a couple of places where he’d almost slipped up and said something, too.

Well, that wasn’t a big deal. What was - “He’s making progress? You’ve had communication from them?”

“Some. Limited. I know that they were able to locate the container and confirm the contents, and that they also were in an encounter with a group of bounty hunters. I expect they’ll contact us soon. Right now though, I’m planning on having my team focus on Kaori and how she can help us all identify and prosecute those responsible for these crimes.”

“And what about Akaashi?” Kuroo asked, feeling selfish as he said the words. 

Kiyoko steepled her fingers, and nodded, face kind. “We’re still doing our best to locate him,” she said. “You have more resources than we do for that, however. It’s also possible that the information she can provide will help narrow down who might be holding him.”

She was right. He knew she was right. He leaned back and sighed, nodding. This was hard. He was far more used to cases that involved direct action - go in, get the bad guys, get out. He could handle the more complex things, but he also knew getting Akaashi back would continue to be his top priority.

"For now though - Kaori, would you be willing to work with Tsukishima?" Kiyoko said, turning to the other woman. "He'd like to help you in retrieving any data you can that will help provide evidence against the responsible parties. Any help you give will be appreciated."

Kaori nodded slowly, glancing at Tsukishima. Tanaka patted her shoulder again, exchanging a protective look with a very bored looking blond. "I'll do whatever I can," Kaori said.

"Good," Kiyoko said, looking at Kuroo again. She opened her mouth and then paused, glancing to the side. Kuroo was fairly certain that she could read his impatience. "I look forward to working with you," she finally said, one of those rote phrases that were necessary and yet felt so useless to Kuroo. 

He nodded.

He wasn't good at this type of thing. Action he could handle. On the ground quick-thinking, he was good at. This type of strategy, this type of waiting, holding all the pieces together - well. Right now he didn't feel good at it at all.

Kenma was the one who handled these things. Kenma the brain. Kenma was his heart. Oh, how he missed him, especially right now. 

If she was right though, if the others were almost done with their business - well. Kenma would be back soon. Bokuto would be back - oh, that hurt - but Bokuto would be back. 

Together, they’d find Akaashi. Together, they’d find Daishou, and anyone who was working with him. And together, they’d kick his fucking ass.

~~~~~~~~~~~

The first thing Akaashi noticed was the smell. Something spicy, like cinnamon and cloves, maybe roses. Under that something dry and musty. Just a bit sour.

It was cold.

It was cold, and his neck hurt, his back hurt. He took a deep breath, trying to lift his hand to rub at the back of his neck. Why he’d fallen asleep sitting up he didn’t know -

Then he couldn’t lift his hand, and things started to come back to him.

He opened his eyes, and looked around. Room. Windows. Drapes. Wooden paneling. Candles on the table in front of him. Unnecessary candles, since it was still light out. A bowl with potpourri - that was where the smell was coming from, he assumed. Paintings on the wall.

They were in a building, he was pretty sure. He didn’t hear the ever present hum of electronics that came with being in a ship. They, yes -

He looked over at the man sitting across from him, taking in the other’s sly smile. The man had brown hair brushed over his forehead and was wearing an elegantly cut black suit, holding an equally elegant glass of deep red wine. Akaashi recognized him, it was the same man that had been watching him in the lobby earlier. 

Evidently he really had been the target.

At least it looked like they weren’t in a hurry to kill him. Instead they just had him tied to a chair in a nice room with a man who evidently enjoyed drinking while watching him sleep. That wasn’t creepy at all.

Movement drew Akaashi’s gaze back to the bench underneath the windows on the far side of the room. There was another man lounging there on his back, messy hair and rumpled clothes. He had a snake wrapped around his hands and was staring at it. When Akaashi looked over he glanced his way, then back at the snake. That man he recognized from the lobby as well.

Akaashi had never liked snakes.

The man seated across from him set his glass on the table, tilting his head to the side and watching as if wanting Akaashi to make the first move.

Boredom was probably the best affect at this point. Akaashi was good at looking bored. He certainly didn’t want the other man to know how he was really feeling at this point.

In truth, a million questions and worries were running through his mind. Were Daichi and Kaori ok. Did Kuroo know where he was. Were Kenma and Bokuto - oh. Bokuto. Oh, when Bokuto found out Akaashi had allowed himself to be taken, that would be bad.

Hopefully Kuroo and Kenma were alright and could handle things. At least, he trusted that Kenma would keep a level head about himself.

This was bad.

It could be worse.

He was not, as of yet, gravely injured. He was tied up but still clothed, and the ropes that bound him weren’t cutting off his circulation. If all the man across from him wanted to do was watch him sit, he could handle that.

Of course, he highly doubted that was all the man wanted to do.

Akaashi heard doors open behind him and turned his head as far as he could, seeing two men walk in. One was the dark-haired man who’d shot him. The other was the fourth man he recognized from the lobby, shorter with light scruffy hair.

“So sleeping beauty is finally awake?” The shorter man said, coming around the table to lean against the back of the seated man’s chair.

“Yes,” the man said, smile widening as he turned to Akaashi. “I hope you slept well. I’m so sorry for any hardship you may have encountered when we went to pick you up, but well. I didn’t think you’d want to come join us if we just asked, and I so wanted to have a conversation with you. Or several conversations, actually.”

The dark-haired man had gone over to sit next to the man by the window, but he was watching Akaashi closely.

The man waited for Akaashi to respond. When he didn’t, the man shrugged. “I should probably introduce us, since we all know your name, Akaashi. Akaashi Keiji.”

Akaashi frowned at that, then composed his face as he saw the other man’s eyes widen, pleased at getting a reaction.

“I am your host, Daishou,” the man said, then motioned to the man behind him and the one to the side. “Sakijima and Hiroo were kind enough to go pick you up, and the one entertaining the snake is Kuguri. It’s so nice to finally meet you, Akaashi.”

Akaashi sighed, cataloguing the names. Kuguri looked bored. Hiroo was stoic, but watchful. Sakijima - ah. He looked like he might be trouble.

Nothing like Daishou though. Daishou came across as a human version of the reptile Kuguri held in his hands.

The silence in the room grew oppressive enough that Akaashi finally spoke.

“Can I ask why you have me here?” 

“Well,” said Daishou, ”I wanted to talk.”

“I do have a telephone.”

“Oh, I know,” Daishou replied. He pulled the phone out of his pocket and set it on the table, tapping at the screen. “Nice security, by the way. We were able to get in through the first couple layers, but then it froze when we tried to go deeper. Seemed like it might have scrambled itself? I hope you didn’t lose anything important.”

He hadn’t. Everything was backed up. It made him sick to his stomach anyways - what was on there that wasn’t high security?

Phone contacts?

Pictures?

Pictures of Bokuto?

Pictures of Bokuto sleeping?

He was only thankful that there were no pictures of Kuroo or Kenma on there yet - the last thing he wanted was to expose them. 

“Don’t worry,” Daishou said. “I called Kuroo and let him know you were alright. Did you know that we’re old friends? I used to know him back when he was with Nekoma. Ran into him the other day too, did he mention me?”

He hadn’t. Not in detail. Kuroo had said he’d ran into someone questionable when he’d been out with Kageyama planting the bugs. He hadn’t gone into details, though, just said that was why he hadn’t been able to make contact with Kaori himself. They’d been so caught up in other things Akaashi hadn’t pressed for more details. He was sure Kuroo hadn’t mentioned Daishou by name, though.

Maybe Kuroo hadn’t thought it was a big deal.

Maybe.

“He didn’t say anything, did he?” Daishou said. “Always keeping secrets, that one. You know, you should be more careful who you team up with. The world is a dangerous place.”

Akaashi just made a slight noise and looked to the side. The silence stretched out between them, and he was aware of the other man’s eyes on his face. It wasn’t a good feeling.

Then Daishou looked away, glancing at the men on the bench under the window. “Hey, Kuguri, can I see Nagini please?” he asked.

Kuguri glanced over, frowning. “She prefers the name Buttercup,” he said, but sat up enough so that Hiroo could take the snake. Akaashi noticed that the dark-haired man seemed a bit nervous as he stood and walked over to Daishou. Shikijima moved to the other side of Daishou’s chair, watching as the seated man took the snake.

Akaashi did not like snakes.

Akaashi was fairly certain he didn’t like this snake in particular, a thin serpent with emerald scales and a light yellow stripe running down her back. Daishou stroked her head, holding his finger in front of her face as her tongue flicked out, tasting the air. 

“Nagini comes from a very interesting jungle in the mountains on the southern continent on the planet Zurindi,” Daishou said, moving his fingers and letting the snake slither through and around his arm. “The colonists that landed on the planet were one of those who unfortunately lost contact with everyone else for a while. You know all the failures that happened with the early space-jump trials, before things got stabilized. Though they were lucky I suppose; at least they came out near a planet and were able to land without losing all of their supplies.”

Akaashi knew stories like that, but at the moment he was far more focused on the snake that had just turned his way.

“Funny thing though, they almost didn’t make it through the first summer once they landed. Their terraforming equipment was affected by radiation, you see, and the animals produced from the stores were, well. Lets just say they ended up being quite a bit different than expected. Fortunately, the plants were edible, but Nagini’s species, well. They were rather successful, and it took a while for the colonists to figure out how to survive and coexist. They don’t have any rodent problems, though.

“Nagini is pretty young, as her kind goes. The older snakes of her species are quite a bit more dangerous. Her venom is rarely lethal, though it does have some peculiar qualities. One thing they found, that first summer, was that not everyone bitten is affected by their toxin the same way. In fact, some find it to be a highly pleasant experience to be bitten. Others quickly develop a tolerance. It all just depends. I personally find it useful because for the vast majority of people, the effect is one that loosens the inhibitions, and allows people to speak more freely. Even in bad reactions, though, the effect is more likely to be pain than death. Especially with a snake this young. She’s so precious, isn’t she?”

She wasn’t precious. She was terrifying. Akaashi was managing to keep a straight face, but he could feel his heart beating faster as Daishou let the snake crawl onto the table. She glanced around, turning to flick her tongue out at Shikijima. The man took an involuntary step backwards and Daishou frowned at him, making a motion with his hand. Sakijima glared at Akaashi then went over to sit next to Hiroo and Kuguri.

“There’s one interesting thing about her species that all of them share, though,” Daishou said, fingers sliding over the table in random patterns as the snake turned her attention back towards Akaashi. “They’re all attracted to fear.”

Daishou smiled, sitting back and tapping his fingers together, watching as Nagini started to slither across the table, red eyes locked onto Akaashi.

He curled his fingers against the wood of the chair, wishing he could move. He couldn’t take his eyes off of the snake in front of him, getting closer and closer. Owls ate snakes. Owls ate snakes, he shouldn’t be afraid - 

But he was.

The snake slithered off the table and into Akaashi’s lap. He tried to stay perfectly still, watching as she crawled up onto his arm, slowly slithering up his sleeve. Too soon, too soon he felt a chilly nose pressing against the bare skin of his neck and he looked over to see a hungry look in Daishou’s eyes.

“Don’t worry,” Daishou said as the nose left Akaashi’s neck, “we’re just going to have a little talk. You’ll be fine.”

Then Nagini struck.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (summary of the snakey bits - daishou has his snake bite Akaashi, her venom is similar to truth serum)


	33. Too Good To Be True

“Are you alright?”

Tendou turned and looked at Ushijima, shrugging. “Yes. Some bruised knuckles from fighting, but nothing critical. Sorry I messed up. I had everything calculated except for the arrival of those two new Alephians.” 

“Ah.”

They’d gathered outside the warehouse in front of Shiratorizawa’s ship, getting everything together and patching up those with injuries. Not everyone would be going back with them, evidently. Some of the Seijou people were staying here. Kozume’s two friends had evidently brought their own small skiff out, so they’d be taking that back. Tendou felt fairly neutral about the entire affair, he could see advantages and disadvantages along many of the possible paths; this one was just about as good as any other. No one from their team was majorly hurt. They would gain the money from the bounty, a favor from Kozume’s team, and information. All three things were valuable. They were more value than the slight loss of pride that Tendou didn’t care much about anyhow. Well, maybe a little.

Looking over at Lev and Yaku, Tendou frowned. They hadn’t shown up in any of the data he’d pulled. Granted, he hadn’t dug too deep into Kozume and Kuroo’s history, but there was nothing to indicate that they were part of an Alephian team still. Having them come onto the scene seemed almost like a miracle for Kozume-san. Tendou didn’t like other people supplying miracles. That was his job.

“I suppose it doesn’t matter in the end, what with the copper pulling the warrant out from under us,” Tendou finally said, swallowing the sour taste in his mouth.

Ushijima just grunted. He stared over at Hinata and then looked over at Oikawa. He seemed anything but happy. 

“They get under your skin?” Tendou said. “Normally you don’t pay this much attention to others.”

Frowning, Ushijima looked down at him. “I’m not.”

They both knew better though. Tendou turned and looked at Oikawa, watching the flamboyant man talk with his teammates. The thought of Ushijima being interested in someone was a curious one. Normally, he was happy with whatever the outcome of a job was as long as it was in their favor - and far more often than not, it was in their favor. Even the outcome of this job was technically in their favor, since they’d still be getting paid.

Looking over at Hinata again Tendou said, “You know that you would’ve beaten the little one if he hadn’t pulled a badge on you like that.”

“Flea,” was all Ushijima said, more disgruntled than normal. It was almost amusing to see him showing this much emotion.

“And Oikawa and his people - well. If you want, we can keep an eye out for them in the future. They may not have stolen narcotics, but they did steal something - Kozume was checking a container when we found them. Criminal acts aren’t normally one-time things. Once you cross that line, it gets easier and easier to cross it again.”

Ushijima looked at him, gears turning behind his dark eyes. He glanced over at Oikawa again, then noded.

Personally, Tendou was more curious about the situation with Kozume and his other two friends. “If it’s alright,” he said, “I’d like to offer some extra help with their investigation. There are some things I’d like to learn more about. Do you mind?”

“Alone?” Ushijima asked.

“Well, if they let us - I could take Shirabu. He seems to be getting along well with them,” Tendou said, looking over where the brown-haired man was helping patch up the man Tendou had taken down earlier.

Ushijima was silent for a moment, then shook his head. “Take Semi.”

Tendou pursed his lips, then shrugged. “If you think that’s best.”

Ushijima nodded then walked away, going to check on Goshiki. 

It was a curious choice, but Tendou was sure Ushijima had his reasons. Tendou didn’t care either way. Shirabu was just a bit easier to work with, but he could handle Semi fine. He’d probably enjoy the novelty of the situation. 

More importantly, he wouldn’t get in the way.

It would be interesting to help them with the case, whatever it was. Tendou had no doubt that Ushijima would try to leverage the failed warrant into a higher fee somehow, and the more information Tendou could gather the better. Beyond that though, Tendou was interested in the story behind Kozume’s reunion with his friends. There was a richness of possibility there that Tendou recognized. If he could find out the details of the situation there was a good possibility that he’d find something they could turn to their advantage.

If their advantage happened to be to the disadvantage of the little Dikastis and his two miracle workers, well.

Tendou doubted he’d lose any sleep.

~~~~~~~~

Kenma pulled his jacket around himself, feeling intensely uncomfortable. He was tired. There were too many people around, and he hated this level of responsibility. It wasn’t so bad when it was people he knew well, but having to deal with strangers was so taxing.

It didn’t help that he was still reeling from Yaku and Lev’s arrival. 

Bokuto was there, close by. He’d started to rub Kenma’s shoulders earlier, trying to comfort him. Fortunately Bokuto was starting to learn the signs of when Kenma didn’t want to be touched. Outward signs of affection in a crowd often made him feel vulnerable. It was worse with these people specifically. They might have a truce with Shiratorizawa for the moment, but Kenma knew they wouldn’t hesitate to exploit any weakness under other circumstances.

Tendou’s gaze was far too sharp.

Unfortunately, at the moment they really did need their help. Still, Kenma didn’t trust them. Not by a long shot. He only trusted that they would play by the rules, because the rules were what gave them long-term benefits.

Kenma shivered, watching Lev chat with Bokuto. Lev’s voice was as annoying as always, but there was something soothing about the familiar frustration. He’d missed him. Didn’t know how that had happened, still didn’t know quite how the tall man had managed to squirm his way into Kenma’s affections, but it was undeniable. 

Already he was itching to gripe at him about how he’d handled that fight, the things he could’ve done better or differently. 

When it had counted, Lev had saved Yaku, though.

That was what mattered.

“You’re Alephians like Kenma and Kuroo?” Bokuto asked excitement in his voice. Kenma was pretty sure he was still riding the high from the fight inside, pleased that things had turned out so well. Kenma wanted to have the same enthusiasm, but he was still too anxious.

“Yeah! Did he tell you about us?” Lev said, voice too loud in Kenma’s ears.

“No, man. My teammate is Alephian though too! For forever we thought he was half, but they told me there’s no such thing.”

“Wow, they found another Alephian out here? It’d be great to meet him.”

“You will! Akaashi’s great. Did you know Kuroo back when you knew Kenma?”

“Of course! He was our captain.”

“Wow. Does he know you’re coming? I bet he’ll be so excited to see you.”

Kenma glanced up at that, watching as Lev’s gaze shifted to Yaku and then back to Bokuto. “He doesn’t!” Lev said, voice lowering to a conspiratorial whisper no quieter than his usual voice. “It’s a secret.”

“A secret, eh?” Bokuto asked. “Like a surprise?”

“Exactly like a surprise,” Lev said.

The lack of guile evident in Lev’s voice concerned Kenma. Lev wasn’t innocent, even if he acted like that. Kenma also knew he was far from stupid. Kenma grit his teeth, feeling guilt for not telling Kuroo right away. He was so glad that Lev and Yaku were alive, glad they were here, but it was hard.

He still didn’t know the full truth of what had happened back in the past, the events that had led to Kuroo’s access being compromised to the point where it seemed that he knowingly sent the team into an ambush. Kuroo had been so distraught at first that Kenma hadn’t wanted to push. Kuroo asked for his trust, asked for his help, and Kenma gave it. He’d give anything for Kuroo. Kuroo would give anything for him.

If he was honest with himself, he probably hadn’t wanted to know the details. Something had happened. Something that Kuroo felt guilty about, so guilty it had scared Kenma in the beginning. He didn’t want Kuroo to go there again.

He’d decided that some answers weren’t worth their cost. Maybe that had been a foolish decision. He was fairly sure Yaku wouldn’t make the same choice, especially now.

Kenma glanced over at him. Yaku was sitting apart from the rest of the group. His eyes held a level of anger Kenma rarely witnessed in the other man. Normally Yaku’s temper was like a storm, bursting up violently then subsiding once he’d resolved the issue.

This storm had been building up for a while.

This storm was like a hurricane waiting to hit land, and the name of that land was Kuroo.

Frowning, Kenma glanced down at his hands, picking at a stray hangnail. It wasn’t like he could keep Yaku away from Kuroo, or that he’d even try, he just wished -

Well. They would sort it out.

He and Yaku were old friends, after all. Their friendship wasn’t as old as the one between Kuroo and Kenma, of course, but that was the oldest bond both of them had formed. 

Kuroo was the first thing Kenma every remembered. He pulled up the image of a scrappy haired kid with a huge grin. Kuroo had found him curled up, cold and hungry in an alleyway. Kenma would never forget when Kuroo lifted up the edge of the cardboard box where he’d been hiding, reaching out his hand and trying to coax him out. He’d promised that everything would be ok.

It wasn’t. So very often, it wasn’t. But sometimes, it almost was, and sometimes it was much better than ok. Lately with Bokuto and Akaashi, it had been even better than that.

Kenma reminded himself that Yaku wouldn’t damage their lives now. Yaku wasn’t cruel. Yaku would understand. Yaku was just hurt because he loved Kuroo. Kuroo loved Yaku too, so they’d work everything out.

Frowning, Kenma repeated that to himself, over and over again, trying to silence the bands of worry coiling around his heart, reminding himself that they were just a part of normal anxiety. 

It helped a little. Not much.

“Kozume?” Someone said, and Kenma looked up. Yahaba stood there, giving him an odd look.

“Yes?”

“Ah,” Yahaba said, “Not that I’m not happy things turned out alright, but do you mind telling me what happened back there? I was under the impression that we were allies here, and in my experience, allies have each other’s backs. Especially when one is getting beaten down by an enemy.”

Oh. That. Kenma flushed a bit, looking away from the accusation in Yahaba’s voice. “Sorry,” he murmured. “It’s complicated.”

“Complicated? You know him or something? I’d already served my purpose so -”

“What?” Kenma said, shrinking back involuntarily. “No. Nothing like that. It’s just - he’s Alephian.”

Yahaba stopped and sucked in a breath, making a small impatient noise. 

Frowning, Kenma looked at his hands again. “He’s Alephian, and I’m Alephian, but we’re not the same tribe.”

“And?”

This was so much easier back home, where people knew. Or even when they’d worked with the Kingdomtide armies helping them fight their battles, even if that had been halfway-humiliating for other reasons. One of the more annoying things about Confederation planets was how ignorant they were about Aleph and the tribes, especially when it was so difficult to explain things to a stranger's satisfaction while still keeping necessary secrets.

“Tribes don’t fight each other. Ah, individuals from different tribes can’t fight each other. It’s against the rules.”

“Against the rules,” Yahaba repeated, voice dry.

Kenma nodded.

“Those sound like stupid rules when one of your - well, we aren’t friends, so I guess it doesn’t matter.”

Kenma wanted to say more but his voice threatened to lock up. Yahaba was right, of course. They weren’t friends. But that didn’t mean Kenma wouldn’t’ve jumped to his defense, if it wasn’t for the geas halting him. He couldn’t explain about the geas tho, because that would lead to questions about how it was enforced, and that would lead to more questions about the nanites, and he couldn’t talk about any of that. So he just shrugged and accepted the censure.

“Sorry,” he said again, hearing the lack of satisfaction when Yahaba huffed and stalked away.

Other people were probably watching. Kenma glanced up and saw Oikawa looking his way curiously. There were questions in his eyes that Kenma didn’t want to approach, so he turned away, meeting Yaku’s gaze. His old teammate’s eyes softened momentarily. Yaku would know at least something of what had gone on. He knew Kenma, probably knew that Kenma was close to shutting down. Kenma hated feeling like this. The look in Yaku’s eyes gave him at least a smidgen of hope, however; hope that the bond between them wasn’t as ruined as it felt like at the moment.

Then Yaku turned away.

“Hey, Kenma, Kenma,” Bokuto said, approaching him carefully.

Kenma just glanced up.

“Do you think they’d let us call home?”

For a moment Kenma just stared at him. Obviously, that’s what they should be doing right now. He hadn’t thought, because how could he talk to Kuroo and not tell him about Yaku and Lev - but Bokuto could talk to them. He was probably dying to hear Akaashi’s voice anyways.

Nodding, Kenma said, “It should be safe. I bet if you asked Tendou, he’d let you call. Or Shouyou? He might be a better choice.” There was no telling if Tendou would save the data for future use.

Bokuto’s eyes lit up, and he gave a loud whoop. “That’s a great idea! I’ll go ask him now.”

He was hurrying over to Shouyou then. Kenma followed, curious about how the situation would go.

Hinata handed Bokuto his phone, and Bokuto tapped in the address excitedly. “Hey hey hey!” He said, grinning widely. “Long time no talk - ah, this is Kunimi right? Is Akaashi there?”

Bokuto frowned, glancing at Kenma as he listened to the voice on the other end of the line. “Yeah, yeah, you can patch me over to Kuroo if you want - ah - yeah I’ll wait.”

Looking at Kenma, Bokuto said, “He said Akaashi wasn’t available for some reason. And Kuroo isn’t on the ship? Why are they both - Ah, hey hey hey bro! Guess who’s alive and kicking! And we won! Man you should’ve seen Hinata at the end - the guy has some awesome moves, we should totally invite him to - what? No, of course I’m not sitting down, why would I be - what?”

Bokuto’s face shifted, growing serious as he looked down at Kenma. “Tell me. Tell me! Is it Akaashi? Is he ok? Is he -”

Kenma found that he was clutching at Bokuto’s arm, fingers hurting as they curled around the hard muscle. Bokuto’s eyes looked dark for a moment, darker than he’d ever seen them, then they relaxed for a moment before hardening into anger.

“We’ll be back as soon as we can. Do whatever you need to - hey, hey, bro, don’t say that. It’s not your fault, we all knew - yeah. We’ll be back soon.”

Then he hung up, giving the phone back to Shouyou and looking down at Kenma with empty eyes.

“It’s Akaashi,” Bokuto said. “Someone’s taken Akaashi.”

~~~~~

Bokuto felt numb as Kenma rushed away, talking with Yaku and then going over to talk to Ushijima and Tendou. Oikawa was next, following Kenma back to Hinata and Bokuto. They listened as Kenma explained the situation.

Kenma wanted to leave immediately in Yaku and Lev’s small ship. It was a four-seater, so Bokuto and Kenma would both go. Hinata assured them all that he’d make sure everything went smoothly with Shiratorizawa while Kenma was gone.

It seemed to worry Kenma a bit, but the blond was a mass of nerves by this point, breath coming far too fast. Bokuto wanted nothing more than to gather him up and hold him.

That desire was more for himself than to comfort Kenma, though. 

Bokuto felt adrift.

He followed Kenma, going through the motions as he sat behind him. Lev sat next to him behind Yaku. Fortunately, the other two seemed to realize the gravity of the situation, because neither one pressed for conversation.

It was just as well.

Kenma was passed out asleep almost before they cleared the mountain town.

Bokuto couldn’t sleep. He stared down at his hands, worrying at his fingernails. Was this how Akaashi had felt when he’d been taken? Twice, he’d let himself be taken. Both of those times were because he’d been foolish though.

He couldn’t imagine Akaashi doing anything foolish. 

Well, other than those times when he’d gotten drunk back in the academy - but Bokuto was always there to keep him safe, then.

Akaashi didn’t do foolish. He’d probably been doing something amazing, or something heroic, or both. 

He counted his breaths, timed them. Fear was creeping into his brain again, and he knew it. Knew the self-doubt and worry. He couldn’t lose Akaashi. 

Akaashi was his life, his heart, his soul, his partner, his everything. Akaashi was the soil he grew in. Akaashi was the person that let him be Bokuto. Without Akaashi -

A dozen times he found himself wanting to call Kuroo, talk again, ask questions about what had happened and how the search was going. It wouldn’t help. Pain in the back of his hand broke his train of thought. He’d been scratching the skin. It wasn’t bleeding though.

Not yet.

He forced his hands onto his knees and looked up and out the window, watching as the lights of the city approached in the distance.

Akaashi was out there.

He would find him.

He would find him, and rescue him, and then do everything in his power to find the people responsible and make them pay.


	34. Dreams and Confessions

Akaashi’s body felt hot. Hot and color and fuzzy. He felt like he was swimming in deep water, breathing at the same time. It all felt perfectly natural. Natural except he’d never felt this way before.

“Why is he...”

“Let’s just...”

He felt the ties around his chest and arms and legs come undone, felt unfamiliar hands grab him, test his pulse, lift his limbs. He couldn’t move. The very desire to move his body seemed to only go so far in his brain before being diverted by something else. Colors swirled, but not behind his eyes. 

“Call for you...”

“Now?”

He felt like things were seeping from his skin. His mouth tasted awful, slimy and slippery. Fingers felt oversized, toes impossibly long in his boots. His ears felt like they were dripping off the side of his face, like the toys that he and his cousins used to get from the street fair. Images of their faces flashed in his brain, snapshot perfect against an uncertain background.

“What? Of course it’s just as much...”

“I understand...”

Their faces spun into images of his home, the shapes of the leaves on the tree tha managed to grow on the roof of their building. For a moment he thought he was back there again, curled up in a branch, hiding away and reading. The pages slipped out from under his fingers, fluttering against his touch and then melting through his hands, sliding down, painting over his legs and dripping to the ground below.”

“... damn Confederation...”

“Is it worth...”

“Not going to...”

He felt the hands on him shift and pick him up. He couldn’t open his eyes. In his mind he felt like he was trailing off as they took him away from the voice that was now raised in anger. Just as well. The voices that were left were softer, murmurs that pressed against his skin like gentle caresses. The thought tagged another and he thought of Kenma.

This wasn’t a voice like Kenma’s, though. Still, he was laid on a bed, a cool cloth pressed against his forehead. The voices grew tense again, ribbons of black and violet stretched across his vision. He heard footsteps and a door closing, and then silence broken by the occasional creak of a chair.

He was still burning up. 

The skin along the crease of his elbows itched. His hands shifted through no will of his own, brushing over his arms. His skin felt dirty. Gritty. There was an ache in his joints for a few moments, then it went away. 

He wanted water. He was so thirsty.

The thought of water pulled up another image and he sank down into it, into the heated sunlit water of an ocean. He heard this memory more clearly than the others. Heard the cry of birds dancing along the shoreline. Felt the cool water slip over his arms and swirl around his legs. Heard Bokuto’s laughter and then a splash, felt the tug of a hand on his ankle pulling him under. He knew that memory. Details started to come back to him, pushing out the colors painting across the sky. Vacation. Anniversary. Five years together, four years from his graduation. The stupid hot pink water tube that Bokuto had bought and insisted wearing in the pool of their hotel. 

The night on the beach when Bokuto had pushed him down, sliding hands between Akaashi’s swim trunks and his skin. The way Bokuto had whined when random grains of sand had spoiled Akaashi’s mood enough that he’d stopped any amorous activity. The word amorous. The map of the beach. The schematic of the hotel. 

Realizing once again the truth of how much he loved the other man.

Truth ringing clear as a bell in his mind.

Truth like the tenderness in Kuroo’s touch, the way his eyes were haunted in ways he didn’t want anyone to see. Truth like the way he sometimes rubbed the skin of his chest, tracing images covered by clothing. Truth like the lines and marks written there in a language he didn’t know. 

It seemed like he could know it though. Images of similar characters flashed before his eyes, linked with pictures. River. Mountain. Game. Lion. Night. Heart. Shield. None of it made sense. It was incomplete, pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle with pieces missing. He couldn’t see the truth of it, and that bothered him greatly.

He’d find out what the marks meant later.

The jigsaw was folded and put away in his mind, flowing into a child's game, something with pebbles and colors and patterns traced in the dirt, lines chalked on walls. He sighed. His breath tasted metallic. Somehow he knew it was a real taste, different than the images supplied by the memories in his mind. 

He was aware of the difference, the inner and outer nature of the sensations. He breathed again, experimenting. Thoughts stretched longer now, reaching from his brain to his lungs and then to his fingers. He tested his eyes, feeling them flutter and open.

The room he was in was dark.

If he was being held captive, these people certainly seemed to enjoy holding him in very nice cells.

He was a captive. That was a truth.

His neck moved at his command, though slowly. Glancing around he saw a man watching him, leaning back in a chair. Kuguri. The man with the snake. He held her again, fingers making a lattice for the green serpent to climb as he gazed over at Akaashi.

Akaashi wanted to ask for water. His mouth tasted awful.

“Are you going to fight?” Kuguri asked.

The snake in his hands seemed a far greater threat than physical violence. Akaashi recoiled at the thought of being bitten again. Something in his mind sliced through the fear though, a calm certainty that he didn’t need to be afraid. He didn’t know where the certainty came from. It had the ring of truth, however. 

“I can shoot you if I need to,” the man said, shrugging. Something in his movement reminded Akaashi of both Kenma and Kuroo for a second, then he blinked and the thought was shattered. “If it’s all the same to you I’d rather not. Daishou’s already mad. You resisting will just aggravate him further.”

For a moment Akaashi really didn’t care if he made the man mad, but another part of his brain supplied that the best possible chance he had for survival was in part contingent upon him minimizing behavior that could be classified as uncooperative. Numbers filtered through his brain, laying out paths and decisions. For a moment it felt like there was an edge to them that wasn’t normally there. He always thought in numbers though. Lists of Bokuto’s faults and mannerisms and likes came to mind, followed by much shorter lists that he was compiling for Kenma and Kuroo. They were like the images in his earlier dreams.

Were they dreams?

He’d been awake the whole time, just -

He filed that question away, unable to determine the truth right now.

The man was still watching him. Kuguri. He didn’t seem threatening though, just as bored as Akaashi had ever seen him. He looked down at the snake and then glanced up at Akaashi, a glint in his eye that belied his nonchalant demeanor. This man was dangerous too. Truth.

Akaashi frowned, wanting to shake his head to get his thoughts back in order. Everything felt spiky for some reason, like the tattered threads of ideas were laid over a latticework. 

Kuguri sighed.

“It’s interesting,” Kuguri said. “I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a reaction quite like yours. It wasn’t what Daishou had hoped for. He’ll probably go for more conventional methods next, just so you know.”

That was a chilling thought. 

“Though not until we’re able to ascertain the nature of your reaction, and whether you’re healthy. You are healthy, aren’t you? You could say something, you know. Assuming you haven’t been damaged,” Kuguri said, glancing away. “Of course, you could just be a braindead vegetable. That would certainly change things.”

He wasn’t a braindead vegetable. The sudden worry that his ability to speak had been affected by the snake’s poison crossed his mind, but again that same cool certainty sliced through. He could speak if he wanted to. This was true. He just felt like keeping that thought a secret for the time being.

The worry that secrets were close to lying bothered him for a moment, and he wasn’t sure why. It was packed up as fast as the earlier jigsaw puzzle of curves and lines and language. He didn’t owe these people anything.

The more time he could buy, the better. 

Bokuto would do everything in his power to find him. This was true, would always be true.

Kuroo would as well, he’d probably tear the city apart with his bare hands if he thought it would help. This was true, though he wasn’t sure where the certainty came from.

And Kenma -

He was suddenly struck with the thought that Kenma would find him. The probability of that was a number so close to 100% that he wasn’t sure the difference had any significant value. 

It was comforting. Bokuto loved him with all that he had. Kuroo and Kenma - there he didn’t know the truth of emotion, but he knew two things for certain. They were a team. 

And his team would find him and bring him home. 

~~~~~~~

Kuroo stared at his face in the mirror. His hair was even more unkempt than usual. He looked tired.

Splashing water on his face he wondered again when Bokuto and Kenma would arrive. He worried about why Kenma hadn’t talked to him on the phone. He pushed away the fear that something had happened to Kenma and that Bokuto just wasn’t telling him. No. Bokuto had been happy.

Maybe Kenma was just worn out. That was the more likely possibility. The better one. If Kenma had been hurt...

He stared down at his hands, feeling like they were brittle, like they’d crack under the strain. He knew differently. In his mind, he knew they wouldn’t break. He knew he was strong. He’d get through this.

Taking a deep breath he washed his hands again, feeling the water cool against his skin.

Kageyama was out there waiting for him. He’d come back, braving Kunimi and Kindaichi to keep him company. A deep sense of appreciation for the younger man rose in his mind. He felt like Kageyama was someone with whom he could become friends.

He wondered if Kageyama needed friends.

Right now Kuroo just needed his team.

A voice crackled through the speakers. “They’re here,” Kunimi said.

Sucking in a breath Kuroo stood up straighter, reaching for a towel to dry his face. He’d meant to be out there when they arrived. A sudden fear gripped him, then he thought of Kenma, his Kenma, and rushed out the door and down to the hanger.

Kenma looked like hell.

That was Kuroo’s first thought. He knew when Kenma was exhausted, really exhausted. Kuroo wanted to scoop him up and carry him into their room, draw a warm bath and take care of him. Give him space if he needed. Rejuvenate him in every way he knew how. 

Something was bothering Kenma. That was his second thought. The look Kenma sent him was hollow, haunted. Kuroo frowned. He looked up and caught Bokuto’s eyes staring at him, expression reminding him of the one the other man had worn at the conference table when they’d discussed splitting up for the mission. It was darker though.

Kuroo searched for any sign of condemnation. He was remembering that their connection was still new, that something like this could break it. There was nothing of that in Bokuto’s gaze though. It made Kuroo let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding in.

Then he saw the people behind them.

His eyes were playing tricks on him. He was too tired, too stressed. That was the only explanation.

He was just expecting to see his team.

They weren’t members of his team anymore, they weren’t even -

Lev’s eyes widened, face splitting into a grin. Lev always smiled like that. Lev looked older. Lev couldn’t be older. Lev was dead. Lev was here.

Kuroo blinked, trying to process, and then saw a man who looked like Yaku striding across the floor toward him.

Yaku, one of his oldest friends apart from Kenma.

Yaku, the man who’d challenged him from the first day they’d met, even if that rivalry had been sanded down into a deep and abiding friendship.

Yaku, whose fist was flying at his face and it was such an incongruously natural thing that Kuroo didn’t even think to block it. Yaku couldn’t be here after -

“Ow, fuck,” Kuroo said, falling back and catching himself on the doorway.

He rubbed his jaw, still blinking stupidly at the man who looked like Yaku.

The apparition that looked like Yaku.

The man who was glaring at him and looked like he was about to pull back for another punch.

“Yaku?” Kuroo asked, moving his jaw and feeling the pain from the punch. The pain was real.

“Who the hell else would it be, you -”

The next punch was to his stomach and he almost fell to his knees. Wanted to fall to his knees. Vaguely saw Bokuto being held back by Kenma, saw the look in his eyes again, and it registered.

The look was because of Lev and Yaku. They were really here.

This was Yaku.

Yaku was alive.

“Yaku? You’re -”

He was reaching out to hold the other man’s shoulders, unconcerned when Yaku pushed him away and back into the doorway. Yaku was real. Yaku was alive. Yaku was mad as hell, but that didn’t matter because Yaku was alive.

Yaku growled. “Are you just going to let you beat me into a pulp?”

Kuroo nodded, absently, staring at the face of his friend. His cheeks were wet, he thought. Yaku’s gaze was shifting as he looked at him, anger interrupted by something he only caught a glimpse of before the other man looked away.

“I can’t believe -” Yaku started, pressing his lips together. When he looked back at Kuroo, his gaze was steel. “We need to talk.”

Kuroo nodded, looking over at Kenma and seeing the softness in his gaze. Then he looked around again. Kageyama was standing to the side, watching with concern.

He hadn’t made a move to stop Yaku though. For that, Kuroo was grateful.

“We - Yaku and I - need to talk privately,” Kuroo told them, though he was sure they’d heard what the other man had said. “Kageyama, can you fill the others in on what’s happened so far?”

Kageyama nodded, and Kuroo looked back down at Yaku. He reached out again for him, but there was a tightness in Yaku’s gaze that warned him not to touch. Instead he just walked out the door, motioning the way back to the bedrooms.

As they walked along he couldn’t help but glance over his friend. Yaku. He wasn’t looking back. He was stiff as a board, anger still radiating out from every movement. Kuroo tried to think of a time when he’d ever seen Yaku this angry. It was impossible. Bemused, Kuroo didn’t care. He was still so extraordinarily grateful for the anger. Grateful for Yaku’s existence.

He’d lost him. Lost a huge piece of his own identity at the same time, though it was all tied up.

Yaku was alive.

Kuroo opened the door to his bedroom and stepped inside, moving to sit on the bed. That was better. Yaku was still standing, but now he could see him better. See the little gestures that communicated how uncomfortable Yaku was right now, in this strange bedroom. Then Yaku was looking back over at him, coolly angry.

“Tell me everything,” Yaku said.

The words cut through the fog of Kuroo’s emotions, pinning him back down to reality.

“Everything’s a lot,” Kuroo said, half-joking. 

“I’m giving you a chance to explain.”

Then it hit him. Yaku thought he’d done it. Or he might. It looked like at least a part of Yaku thought he might’ve done it. That chilled him to the bone, cut him deep. That Yaku would think he’d betrayed him -

Then again, all the evidence pointed to that conclusion. Everyone else had thought him guilty, why not Yaku?

Only Kenma had trusted him implicitly, and Kenma didn’t know about the depth of responsibility Kuroo actually had for what’d happened.

His only saving grace was that it looked like a part of Yaku thought he might be innocent as well. Justice, it was all about justice, always was with them. Sometimes Justice was all wrath, shoot first and ask questions later. But Yaku was giving him the chance to answer questions first.

“I didn’t betray you,” Kuroo said. “I wasn’t the one who called in the strike, or sent that message directing the squad to that location. I didn’t do that. I would never do that to you. Never do that to Lev. I’d never betray any of us.”

He was aware of the weight of Yaku’s gaze on him. He was looking for signs of deception, Kuroo knew. He wouldn’t find any unless he’d already made up his mind.

After a moment, Yaku grunted, looking around and pulling up a footstool before sitting down. “Everything,” he said. Kuroo fancied he could hear a softening in his voice, though.

“My passcode - my communicator was hacked. Someone else sent the communications.”

“Everything.”

Kuroo tensed, looking up at Yaku and then away. He hadn’t spoken the other pieces out loud. Not really. Kenma didn’t push too hard. He was gentle. Kenma loved him. Kuroo felt sick sometimes, felt like he took advantage of that love in this case, but it had never been enough to open up that box of memories and share it with Kenma. They hurt too much. The shame he felt was overwhelming.

Yaku would not be as gentle as Kenma. When Kenma found out all the things Kuroo had been keeping hidden, he wouldn’t be gentle either.

But maybe it was better this way.

Kuroo sighed.

“I met a guy,” Kuroo said, ignoring Yaku’s snort of derision. “I met a guy, in one of the bars, in the neutral territory. He was another mercenary, I knew that. Human. I knew he was working for someone else, but he didn’t seem to have any interest in what we were doing. We got to talking.”

Yaku huffed a breath out at that. “Talking, eh?”

Kuroo flushed, curling his fingers together.

“How does Kenma like the fact that you were ‘talking’ to this other guy? I bet he was really -” Yaku started, then paused, watching Kuroo’s face. “Holy fuck. He doesn’t know.”

There was disbelief in Yaku’s voice. Kuroo deserved it, deserved all of it. Yaku knew about his relationship with Kenma, had known it intimately at one time. 

“You really are a fucking piece of work,” Yaku said.

Kuroo just nodded, because it was true.

“Continue.”

Tightening his fingers together, Kuroo said, “One night, after we’d finished -”

“Talking,” Yaku supplied.

Kuroo shrugged. “I was... well. We’d kinda worked ourselves up over a couple of months, going deeper with some things. That night, I was... well. Exhausted. I’d always been careful before, but I wasn’t worried. Wasn’t as worried as I should’ve been. After I passed out...”

“Yes?”

“After I passed out, he broke into my phone. Unlocked everything. Used everything he’d learned, used me, cracked enough levels of security that he could send the orders to your squad. And then the next morning, I woke up and we ate breakfast together. I didn’t even know what had happened until that afternoon when i was on my way back to the unit. Then, they told me you were dead. A few hours later, they arrested me as the one responsible.”

That was it.

That was everything.

Well, almost everything, but the other details Yaku either wouldn’t want to know or didn’t need to know. The other details were things Kenma alone had the right to know.

The guilt that he’d left locked away in a corner of his mind was out now, eating away at him with renewed fervor. At the same time it felt oddly good to actually be honest with Yaku, tell him what had happened. No one else had ever really asked. Not with such an intention to seek the truth. 

“Shit,” Yaku said, sitting back.

For a few minutes they were silent. Kuroo kept breathing. At first he kept his eyes on the floor in front of him, not wanting to meet Yaku’s gaze. He was hungry to see him, though. Hungry to impress upon his mind the fact that yes, this was Yaku sitting there. This wasn’t just some dream he’d conjured up, a wraith he was imagining so that he could voice his confession.

Yaku was here. Yaku was breathing. Yaku was looking at him.

He felt wetness slide down his cheeks again and didn’t bother to wipe away his tears.

“Lev saw the attack before it hit,” Yaku finally said. “My ankle got crushed by debris, but he took care of me.”

Kuroo’s gaze dropped down to Yaku’s lower leg. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.

“He carried me to a cave when the enemy swooped in. We stayed hidden for days, just eating what we could. Lev almost got caught a few times. The idiot. Even after they were gone, Lev was the only one around who could talk to me. The locals - well. He talked them into helping us with food. Did whatever it took. Whatever they asked, whatever they required, he did it. I was helpless. My leg almost got infected more than once. Getting back to the spaceport, back to Nekoma - well. I’ll leave the details of that up to your imagination.”

“I’m sorry,” Kuroo whispered again.

“When I got back, I found out that my captain - my best friend - was the one who’d betrayed me. The one who’d sent me in there to die. The one who’d run away like a coward instead of face the consequences of what he’d done.”

Kuroo slid off the bed, landing on his knees. “I didn’t - I couldn’t -”

“They wouldn’t’ve believed you.”

Kuroo nodded dumbly.

“All the evidence points to your guilt.”

He nodded again, back bowing.

“They would’ve killed you.”

It was true. He’d wanted to fight it at first, thought about trying to prove his innocence, but Kenma had broken him out and told him in no uncertain terms that the only chance he had was to flee. It wasn’t even about Nekomata. It was about the rest of the tribe, and all their rules. Justice sometimes truly was blind, and in the eyes of Justice, he was guilty.

“They still want you dead.”

That made Kuroo go cold.

He looked up at Yaku. At some point he’d crawled over close to him, wanting again to touch him. They stared at each other for a moment before Kuroo said, “Are you here to kill me?”

Yaku’s eyes gave away nothing of his intentions. Then he sighed and said, “You’re my best friend.”

Kuroo felt hope then, felt it carve an awful swath through a part of his heart he’d thought was dead.

“You’re my best friend. You’re a fucking idiot who needs to keep his fucking dick in his pants, but you’re my best friend.”

Kuroo looked down, heart beating wildly at the words. His gaze locked onto the ankle Yaku had pushed toward him, remembering the other’s story. 

“I’m not going to kill you,” Yaku said. “Lev would never kill you. He believes you’re innocent. Always did. Didn’t care about the evidence, kept protesting that we needed to trust you, trust Kenma, because Kenma would never ever allow anyone to hurt us and get away with it.”

Kuroo chuckled at that, one hand reaching out to touch the front of Yaku’s leg. “He’s some guy.”

“He’s the best,” Yaku said fiercely. “The best fucking person there ever was. Best fucking partner anyone could ever hope for.”

Kuroo glanced up in surprise, lips twitching at the faint blush that coated Yaku’s cheeks. At any other time he might press back on that, but for now, he allowed it.

Yaku looked away, frowning in annoyance. “Just - ugh. Don’t tell him I said that. I’ll never hear the end of it. He’s bad enough as it is.”

“He always wanted to be the best partner you ever had. Or should I say -”

“If I kick you right now, I could break your jaw. I probably wouldn’t even feel guilty.”

Laughter boiled up out of Kuroo’s throat at that. It hurt. He felt it catch in his throat, turn into half a sob. He reached out again, feeling the leg underneath Yaku’s pants, sliding his fingers up under to touch the skin. It was new, and too smooth, and the muscle wasn’t the same as it had been. It was there though, and whole. 

He fell forward and rested his head against Yaku’s knee. The other man’s fingers threaded into his hair, hand a comforting weight.

“You’re alive,” Kuroo said, tears flowing freely now. “You’re alive. You’re alive.”

“Yeah,” Yaku said, combing fingers through his locks. “Yeah, I am.”


	35. Reunion

Lev was annoying.

Kenma snuggled back against him anyway, feeling the taller man’s arms tighten around his chest. He was half-seated on one of Lev’s thighs, one of his legs draped over Bokuto. No one was saying anything about it. No one was saying anything about how he was holding Bokuto’s hand either, which was just as well. At the moment, Kenma didn’t really give a shit.

His mind was too focused on the images on the screen in front of him, free hand dancing over the glass as he half-listened to the conversation around him. Words were slow. Speech was slow. He knew the gist of things anyhow, knew who Daishou was before Kageyama started describing him. The fact that Kuroo’s old nemesis was in town made him anxious.

The fact that he was sitting on Lev’s lap balanced that anxiety out.

He scrunched up his nose and leaned forward when the taller man tried to rest his head on top of Kenma’s, though. Bokuto was squeezing his hand, looking over at him with uncertainty. He just squeezed back. 

“Do you have,” Kenma murmured, watching as information popped up on his screen. “Ah, thanks. Yes.”

Working with Kunimi was easy. He glanced over at the man on his other side. They were both working one-handed, which amused Kenma a bit. It didn’t matter. Even one-handed they could do more together than most two-handed hackers he knew. Even most two-handed teams.

Pulling the new information into his matrix he leaned forward, tapping at one section of his screen. 

“Ah,” Kunimi said, hand dancing as they passed data back and forth. “There?”

“Yes.”

It was almost too easy to break through the barrier in front of them, breaking into the records of the transportation company that had brought Nohebi on planet. Kenma allowed himself a smile as he retrieved their reservations.

“Only four of them then,” Kenma murmured. “Well, four people. Two exotic pet licences.”

Frowning at that he pushed the records over for Kunimi to research, then continued looking at the manifests. They’d arrived a day after the shipment was stolen, just before the warrant was issued. After the data for the warrant had been manipulated, though. That made sense. None of the four had the technical background necessary. It was enough to prove to Kenma that Nohebi was working with the people responsible.

Not that he’d had any doubt.

Kunimi made a slight noise and shifted information over to Kenma’s screen so that he could look at it in more detail. The first exotic pet was a species of choline elapid, a serpent whose venom had a higher concentration of neurotoxins than cytotoxins. They’d gotten around the general ban on transport because of the serpent’s age, which theoretically rendered the toxins nonlethal. Instead they were reported to be useful in interrogations, with fewer long term side-effects than artificially created drugs. The reports were crap.

Kenma knew. He’d seen this type of venom before. “I wonder if Nohebi was involved then too,” he mused to himself.

“Hmm?” Lev asked, leaning forward to over Kenma’s shoulder. “Oh, that doesn’t look good.”

“What?” Bokuto asked.

Kenma shot Lev an annoyed look. “It should be alright. Akaashi’s Alephian.”

“Oh, ok,” Lev said.

“What? What?” Bokuto asked, fingers too tight as they squeezed Kenma’s hand.

“This snake - they probably didn’t know that Akaashi was Alephian. We’ve seen it before, there was a group of prisoners we rescued on a mission once who had been exposed to the snakes during interrogation. Most of them didn’t fare well. We were able to capture one of the snakes to test out, however.”

“Test out on what?”

“Us,” Kenma replied, shrugging. “Well, not us specifically. But some Alephian scientists working with us tested it on different subjects. Alephians are basically immune.”

That wasn’t quite accurate, of course. There were some effects, but none of them were dangerous; most were just a part of their bodies natural response. The nanites in their blood did an excellent job of identifying the invading toxins, shutting down major conscious processes in order to contain and expel them before they were able to cause any damage. 

“Oh,” Bokuto said. He didn’t sound too relieved. Kenma couldn’t reassure him much. Nothing about having Akaashi in Nohebi’s hands was good.

“The other one is supposedly just a dog,” Kunimi said, shifting the records over.

“Dog?” Kenma asked.

That didn’t make any sense.

“A dog isn’t that exotic, is it?” Bokuto asked.

“Not normally. Depends on the species,” Kenma replied.

He pulled up the records, eyes examining the transportation order before he pulled up the random genescan. It was normal, too normal. Just exotic enough to require special transport instead of an open box, but otherwise nothing remarkable on the surface. Kenma was suspicious, though. There was no reason for them to bring a dog. Nothing he knew about Daishou or the others indicated an interest in recreational pets. He pulled up video footage of the unloading of the animal’s container, frowning as he watched a tall dark-haired man crate the box off the ship without checking on the health of its contents.

“Check on the origin,” he murmured. 

He didn’t like this one bit. 

He continued checking the records of the four men. All normal on the surface, as unexceptional as their supposed dog. Kenma knew better, however. He also knew that records could be scrubbed.

He’d done it himself a time or two.

“We’ve got a video call incoming,” Kindaichi said. 

Kenma blinked and pushed back at Lev, disentangling himself from the other man and pushing him out of the seat despite his whining. “Who from?”

“The Shiratorizawa ship.”

Lev shut up, taking the seat beside Bokuto as he sulked. Kenma looked over for Kageyama, frowning as he realized the other man had left at some point while he was distracted. “Call Kageyama up here. He’ll probably want to be in on this,” Kenma said, then sat back and looked at Bokuto.

“Ready,” Bokuto said.

The display in the middle of the table popped up, revealing the smiling faces of Oikawa and Shouyou. 

“Yahoo!” Oikawa said, waving. “Kunimi! Kindaichi! Long time no see! You look great.”

“Hello, Oikawa-san,” Kindaichi said. “Glad things went well.”

“Yeah! I just wanted to let you all know that Iwa-chan and I are coming back with Hinata. We should be there in a few hours.”

“What about Matsukawa-san and Hanamaki-san?”

Oikawa’s smile tightened a bit at the question, but he laughed it off. “Oh, you know, they did such a good job this trip I thought they needed some time for rest and relaxation. Plus, Yahaba needs their help with something. Sorry, you’ll just be stuck with us this time.”

Kenma caught Kunimi’s glance in his direction at that, and looked down to see a message on his screen. /Injured?/

Kenma looked back at Oikawa and nodded just a bit, typing out a quick reply. /Yes. Not serious. Later./

Kunimi nodded at that, then started to turn as the door slid open.

“You needed - oh, hey,” Kageyama said as he came in, face a study in conflict as he looked at the two men on display. His gaze finally settled on Shouyou.

“Kageyama!” The short man yelled out. “Just wait till I get back! I have to tell you about this fight I had! It was all woosh and swoop and I got -”

“Chill, dumbass. You’re in public.”

“Ahh!” Shouyou said, then glanced around before pointing at Kageyama. “Fine. But when I get back you’re going to hear it all, Bakayama.”

Kenma swore he saw an expression close to a smile on Kageyama’s face at that.

“I figured,” Kageyama said, then shrugged. “Good job, by the way.”

“Ahh! Yeah,” Hinata said, giving him a huge grin. “Thanks.”

“Not to interrupt,” Oikawa said, even though that was exactly what he was doing, “But we also wanted to let you know that Ushijima has offered to lend us a couple of his people to help out with the case.”

“Oh?” Bokuto asked, glancing at Kenma.

“Tendou and Semi,” Oikawa said.

Kenma frowned. He didn’t remember which one Semi was, but he was very familiar with Tendou. 

“They have some information on Nohebi they say might be of use to us.”

Bokuto glanced over at Kenma, and he shrugged. On the one hand, he didn’t like the idea of Tendou having direct access to their systems. Most of the critical systems were already cordoned off because of Kunimi’s presence on board, though, so he’d just have to increase the security and pull the most high-level data away from network access. He’d have to scrub everything after the man left to make sure there weren’t any back doors, but he was confident in his ability to pull that off without a hitch. 

Looking back at Oikawa, Bokuto said, “Alright. Can he send the information now so that we can start working on it?”

“Ah,” Oikawa said, glancing over to the side. 

The display shifted over to let Tendou speak. “I’m concerned that our communications could be compromised,” the man said, shrugging apologetically. “It’ll be safer once we’re actually there.”

Right. Sure. Why was Kenma not surprised. He just nodded, focusing his attention back on the screen in front of him.

“Ok,” Bokuto said. “We look forward to seeing you then.”

He discussed a few more details with Oikawa, but Kenma only half paid attention. His real focus was on a search to track Nohebi’s movements after they left the spaceport. Unfortunately, he kept hitting dead ends.

Annoying.

When the call ended, Kenma glanced over to see Kunimi stifling a yawn. “You should get some sleep,” he said.

“I napped earlier,” Kunimi replied.

Yawning sympathetically, Kenma said, “Still. I can continue for now.”

“You should both sleep,” Bokuto said.

Scowling, Kenma said, “I slept on the trip here.”

“Not well enough.”

“He’s right, Kenma-san. You were all twitchy.”

“And you drooled,” Bokuto added.

Making a face, Kenma said, “I did not.” He almost wiped at his cheek without thinking, frown deepening when he caught what he’d almost done.

“Did too,” came a new voice.

“Did not!” Kenma said automatically, turning around and sucking in a breath, bands around his chest uncoiling.

Kuroo gave him a wan smile, coming over to lean against the back of his and Bokuto’s chairs. “What are you fighting over?”

“I’m trying to convince Kenma to get some sleep,” Bokuto said, shooting Kenma what was probably supposed to be a stern look.

“I’m fine,” Kenma said.

“Mmm, nope,” Kuroo said. “Gotta side with Bokuto on this one.”

Kenma scowled at him, then looked over where Yaku had come in and was talking with Lev. Both he and Kuroo looked somewhat relaxed.

“It’ll be a few hours before the others are here,” Kageyama said. “I’ve slept. Kuroo hasn’t. I can stay up and wait.”

“Me too,” Kindaichi said, shooting Kageyama a suspicious look.

Kenma sighed, looking up at Kuroo. 

The taller man looked a bit sheepish, then shrugged, leaning closer. “Nap with me, kitten? You too, Bo.”

Bokuto whined at that, and Kenma glanced down at the screen as the two of them bickered back and forth a bit. He hated the idea of getting sleep while Akaashi was out there somewhere.

He’d like to think he could just beat away at the problem and find a solution. He was hitting a brick wall everywhere he turned, however. He could only hope that the information Tendou had would be more helpful.

“I’ll go sleep,” Kunimi said, looking over. “I have some processes running to hopefully identify the origin of that dog." 

“Yeah,” Kenma said, frowning at the screen in front of him as he set up a few bots to see if they could chip away at the problems while he was gone. Kuroo’s hand was gently threading through his hair, a distraction that made him realize exactly how much he needed to be alone with him.

Well, him and Bokuto. 

The selfish part of Kenma wanted time just with Kuroo, but another didn’t want to leave Bo alone. Not with Akaashi missing. He looked over at his two partners, watching them together. There was something there, something special.

Kenma saw Yaku looking at the two of them as well, a muted longing on his face. Having their old teammates here was like a miracle. There were potential complications there as well.

Or, there would be, if Yaku - ah. Lev. A smile flit across Kenma’s face as he saw Lev tug at one of Yaku’s hands, saw the quickly-hidden tenderness that crossed the shorter man’s face.

So that had finally come to fruition. 

He was glad.

“I’m ready,” Kenma said, looking up at Kuroo.

The love in the eyes staring down at him made Kenma’s heart warm.

Kuroo nodded. “Let’s go to bed.”

~~~~~~~~

Bokuto sighed, feeling lonely as he stared at Kuroo and Kenma as they stood in the other two’s bedroom. He felt strangely jealous of the little touches the other’s shared, watching as Kuroo undressed the blond.

“Come on, Bo,” Kenma said, looking over at him. 

Shrugging, Bokuto looked down. He was the one who had suggested sleep in the first place, but now it felt almost like a betrayal. He saw Kuroo step into his field of vision and looked up, opening his mouth to say that he was going to go back to the bridge.

“I missed you,” Kuroo said first. There were echoes of a deep sadness in the other man’s eyes, a sadness that tugged at Bokuto’s heart. He didn’t know what had gone on between Kuroo and Yaku, but it seemed like something very heavy.

“We missed you too,” Kenma said, coming up behind Kuroo and kissing his shoulder.

There was a strange fragility in the look Kuroo gave Kenma. The pain that had been hidden beneath the surface in the look he’d given Bokuto splintered out as he looked down at the shorter man. Kenma didn’t see the look because he’d buried his face against Kuroo’s skin, but Bokuto saw it.

Saw it and wanted to hold Kuroo until there was no danger that he would fall apart.

“I missed both of you so much,” Kuroo said. “We missed -”

There was fresh pain in his voice and Bokuto kissed him, once and then again, feeling the desperation in the way Kuroo’s hand curled around his arm in response.

“We need sleep,” Bokuto said, resting his forehead against Kuroo’s and feeling him nod.

They’d be no good without some rest, especially after everything the’d been doing.

Slowly they climbed into bed with Kuroo in the middle, Bokuto spooning him from behind. Kenma was looking deep into Kuroo’s eyes, small hand tracing over his cheek. 

“I need to talk to you, Kenma,” Kuroo said softly, running his fingers through the blond’s hair.

Blinking slowly, Kenma said, “Ok.”

“I,” Kuroo started, drawing in a deep breath, “Daishou...”

He was silent for a few moments after that, head tilted forward. 

Kenma watched his face, glancing up at Bokuto. There was pain there too. Pain and secrets. “We can talk about it after this is over,” Kenma finally said.

“I just,” Kuroo said, sighing deeply. “I just don’t want you to be surprised. I’m sorry.”

So there were secrets on both sides.

Kenma just nodded though, nodded like he knew about them already. “Whatever it is,” he said softly. “You know I’ll always love you. I’ll always be yours.”

Bokuto felt like an observer at this moment, like he was witnessing something deeply intimate between the other two. He almost felt like he was trespassing. Kenma had invited him in, though. Kenma was pulling him into this moment, looked up at him soft and confident, trusting Bokuto to recognize this importance.

It broke his heart, just a little, broke it even more open. He could see himself falling in love with them, with both of them. He missed Akaashi desperately.

He wondered what it was that Kuroo had done, wondered at the depth of the bond between the other two. He felt the way about Akaashi, though.

There was nothing Akaashi could do that would make him not love him.

He knew him too well, knew the core of him. Wanted to know the core of Kenma and Kuroo just as deeply.

They’d have time to grow into that, though.

Leaning forward he kissed the base of Kuroo’s neck. “Talk later, bro. Sleep now.”

Kuroo nodded slowly, reaching out and pulling Kenma close as Bokuto snuggled tight against him. They could use words later. Use all the words, unpack all the secrets. Right now though, they were together, and that would be enough.

Enough for now.

Bokuto felt the absence at his back keenly, and pulled closer to the other two because of it.

His last thought before he slipped into unconsciousness was a vow, once again, to find his love and bring him home.


	36. Past chasing the Future

“Everything’s going just fine.”

It was night when Akaashi woke up.

“No, no, I haven’t heard from them yet. They’re the best though. I’m sure we’ll hear from them soon.”

There was a man seated in a chair beyond the foot of his bed.

“I’ll let you know as soon as things come together. Yes. Of course. We’ll continue to be discrete. There’s no need to be concerned.”

The man was lying.

“Good working with you as well.”

The man was Daishou. He hung up the phone.

Daishou looked tired and pensive. He was staring out the window with a slight frown on his face, fingertips tracing faint patterns in the glass.

“I know you’re awake,” he finally said, not bothering to look over at Akaashi. “Why do you Alephians always have to make things so difficult.”

Akaashi’s breath left him in a huff. His mind was still cloudy from sleep, body sore from the fact that his wrists and torso were strapped down to the bed. He was tempted to say something flippant, ask the man why he always felt the need to tie him down so tightly, but that was only the temptation of a half-woken mind. There was no benefit to being flippant with this man.

“You know then,” he said instead.

Daishou nodded, leaning against the back of his chair. “Did some research. It’s not in any of your records, which is surprising. Your reaction though - well. Sakijima looked it up, and it fit some vague records we found of Alephian test trials.”

Akaashi heard truth in that. The sense felt like a carryover, like something he’d always had but only now recognized, instinct made conscious. It was curious. He’d have to ask one of the others about it, when they were back together.

He wondered if it was the nanites that had protected him from the snake’s venom. It only made sense that it was. Any impulse to ask resulted in a locked mouth, though. That, he was fairly sure, was caused by the nanites. It was almost comforting to think that some secrets would be kept no matter what state he was in. Akaashi only wished that he could be sure the most important secrets would be so protected.

Importance, he suspected, was relative.

“I see,” said Akaashi.

“It doesn’t matter anyhow. Your friends,” Daishou said, voice twisting the last word into something bitter, “have thoroughly messed everything up. It’s only a matter of time before my employers are either picked up or have to flee the planet. The Confederation is a clumsy and slow-moving hammer, but when it hits, well. Best to stay out of the way.”

Akaashi pondered this a moment. “So you don’t need me anymore.”

“I don’t. Well, not for the job.”

Daishou considered him then, and the look on his face made Akaashi feel very wary.

“I’m not entirely sure what I want to do with you, to be honest. I suppose I could interrogate you merely for my own amusement. Or I could kill you. I wonder what would hurt him worse.”

“Him?” Akaashi asked.

Daishou wasn’t paying him any attention though. He was looking back out the window, face covered with an expression full of loss and longing. It seemed out of place. Or perhaps it was perfectly in place, because it rang true in a way his normal expressions did not. The truth of it did not make it sit any easier in Akaashi’s mind.

“You could just let me go,” Akaashi suggested. He tried to make it seem as if he had no interest in Daishou’s decision, like the three options were equally pleasant. Anything else would seem too close to begging for freedom. Akaashi was fundamentally opposed to begging under these circumstances, and besides, he doubted that Daishou was the type to be moved by such tactics.

“I could,” Daishou said, looking back over at him. “That might be pleasant. For him to always know that your freedom was only something obtained because of my mercy. It’s tempting.”

He seemed to honestly consider it a moment, then shook his head.

“It’s tempting, but I’m not quite that merciful. Instead I think I’ll just use you as bait.”

The decision changed the look in Daishou’s eyes completely. Gone was anything pensive or melancholy. Akaashi had the feeling, as the other man looked down at him, that Daishou had no sense of him as a separate person. He was merely a thing, something to be used. Something that could talk, but the words would have no real impact on Daishou himself. 

He wondered who the man wanted to hurt. He was fairly sure it was Kuroo.

“Bait,” Akaashi said.

Daishou smiled down at him, and the expression seemed both fundamentally wrong for the lie it told and right for the easy way it sat on his face. “Yes,” Daishou said. “I heard a rumor that a little cat has come back to town. I wonder if I can talk him into making an exchange.”

Little cat. Kenma.

The realization made something go cold in the pit of Akaashi’s stomach. No matter what, he didn’t want Kenma in this man’s clutches.

“Or perhaps I’ll end up catching a big cat instead. At this point, I’m not even sure if I care. Either way, I have a nice doggie for them to play with.”

Akaashi didn’t understand the amusement in Daishou’s voice, but he wasn’t sure he wanted to either. He didn’t say a word in response, just watched as the other man walked to the door before looking back.

“You know,” he said, looking at Akaashi appraisingly. “You really don’t seem like that bad of a person, Akaashi. Under other circumstances, we might have even been friends.”

~~~~~~~~~~

Kuroo Tetsurou could remember the exact moment the world had started to exist.

He’d been about seven, he was pretty sure. He’d been alone on the streets, father rotting in some sort of jail and mother long tone to fight the wars. He hadn’t been hungry, of course. No one was ever hungry on Aleph. Cold, well. Cold was another story.

He’d been fortunate enough, he supposed, because at least he’d been old enough and smart enough to know that he could ask for food, to know that he could go to school, even if he didn’t have a home address or an adult to be responsible for him. Other kids weren’t so lucky.

Or perhaps he they were. 

He saw them sometimes, standing in groups and being gently coaxed by kind adults in how to renounce the tribe. Saw them being loaded, clear-eyed, onto the ships that would take them to join all the others who had denied their tribe. 

He heard the disparaging remarks of adults sometimes as he passed by. “I don’t know why he just doesn’t give up,” they’d say. “Dikastis doesn’t need weak links like that boy.”

He promised himself that he’d never be a weak link. Sometimes he wasn’t even sure what made him hand on so tightly. It wasn’t like his tribe was doing much for him. Charity and kindness were not traits highly prized by the ninth tribe of Aleph. Only justice.

Kuroo was never quite sure how it was just to let children freeze to death on city streets.

He survived though.

But it was lonely.

He remembered the day when all that changed.

He’d been rummaging around in an alleyway looking for something to sell. People threw out all sorts of things really, perfectly useful things that other people found value in. Kuroo had learned that his fingers had a knack for sometimes changing the almost worthless into something more. He’d heard something inside a box of cardboard and thought that perhaps it was a cat. He liked cats. Cats were lucky.

The eyes that greeted him when he lifted the box would always and forever remind him of a cat’s, even if in all other ways the boy who had looked back at him was shaped like a person. Nothing had changed the immediate connection he’d felt, even if minor detail had shifted over the years they’d known each other. Kenma’s black hair was dyed somewhat blond at some point, probably because of a chance remark of their teammates. He’d grown taller. He’d decided at some point that speaking was a social activity of some importance that he’d occasionally take part in. They’d figured out that the connection between them was something called love. 

Neither of them had really cared what the name was, though. It didn’t change the truth of a thing just because you slapped a word onto it. 

It was unbreakable.

Kuroo had always thought that.

For the first time in his life since the world had begun, he had started to worry that love was something that could break.

He’d always been able to communicate with Kenma, even when they didn’t use words. Not that he told Kenma everything, not that Kenma told him everything, but they knew the important bits. He’d always gotten around to telling Kenma the important things. 

Now, for the first time, it was like he couldn’t speak.

There was a wall between them. Kuroo wondered if he was imagining it. He clung to Kenma’s words.

He’d always love him. He’d always be his.

There’d been truth in those words, but Kuroo was terrified that the truth was just a wishing truth, something that would break when everything came to light. He had been lying to Kenma, after all. It was a lie of omission. It was a stupid lie. It was an old lie, something that could’ve stayed buried in the past with no real damage to the future other than its existence. Kuroo himself had happily ignored the lie for months, all too happy to focus on things more immediate and important to their survival.

Now, he worried that the sheer age of the lie was what was making speaking the truth impossible. 

Intellectually he knew it was all bullshit. All he had to do was tell him. He just needed to pull Kenma aside and talk. He’d told Yaku the jist of things the day before, after all, and nothing bad had happened. In fact, it had been good. Yaku had yelled at him, but they were still friends. Would be best friends again, most likely, given enough time and healing.

The fear was irrational and he knew it.

That didn’t make it any less real.

Kenma was looking over at him, solemn and quiet. Kuroo tried smiling at him, but Kenma looked away before the expression reached his lips, distracted by something Kindaichi was saying as they waited for others to arrive. Kageyama was watching Kuroo, the lack of judgement in his eyes a comfort. Kuroo remembered their talk earlier conversation.

‘Lets just say the past few days have almost been like having to relive the worst mistakes of my life. ... You’d know something about that, I guess.’

How right the man had been. Well, almost right - Kuroo felt like the worst mistake of his life was right here in front of him, and he was in the process of making it.

He should stop it. It was easier to just do nothing. Easier, and wrong, but there were other things of importance to be done right now, and it was also easier to convince himself that it would all be ok, that all his worry was for nothing. That felt like a lie, but he tried to convince himself it was the truth. 

Bokuto leaned against his arm, looking over with worry in his gaze. Kuroo tried his smile out on him, and it was slightly more successful. Bokuto’s eyes softened.

“We’ll find him,” Bokuto said. “Find him and find that asshole. Then we can figure everything out.”

Kuroo nodded.

“Hey,” Bokuto said, looking ahead at the lowering ramp. “Did you know that owls have asymmetrical ears? It gives them superior hearing.”

“Really?” Kuroo asked.

“Yeah! When were were in the Academy I found out and wanted to get one of my ears modified, but Akaashi wouldn’t go with me. Said we were too young to be making stupid decisions like that.”

“Man,” Kuroo said. “I’d go with you, bro. Seems like those are exactly the type of decisions we should make while we’re still young.”

Bokuto’s eyes were shining as he looked at him. “Really? Maybe after all this we can try it.”

“Ok.” There was a hope there. A hope for something beyond the gulf of worry and fear.

“Man, Akaashi will probably be mad if we do - hey, do you want to get yours modified too?”

“Nah, probably not. I could expand my tattoo though.”

“Oh yeah! I’ve been meaning to ask you about what it means.”

Kuroo smiled, rubbing his chest where the kanji was laid out. “People who are important to me,” he said. “I’m pretty sure there are some things missing.”

That was a reckless statement. A part of him wanted to point out that everything from the past few days could be temporary. He could lose it. That wasn’t the future he wanted, though, and something in Bokuto’s sly grin made him want to fight for a future where both Bokuto and Akaashi’s names would be written on his skin forever.

A sound made Kuroo turn towards the ramp.

“My people!” Oikawa shouted out, walking up the ramp and patting Kunimi on the head before turning to Kindaichi. Iwaizumi was right behind him. He looked more relaxed now, almost happy. Hinata was rushing up the ramp and talking to Kageyama. Kuroo was glad for the way his new friend relaxed as the redhead jabbered at him. Mistakes didn’t break things forever, after all.

Then Kuroo turned his attention to the other two men walking up the ramp. The man in front was obviously Alephian, brown eyes flashing yellow as he came closer, hand outstretched.

“Hey hey hey!” Bokuto said, smiling. “Kuroo, this is Tendou. Tendou, Kuroo.”

“Tendou Satori,” the man said, eyes full of curiosity. 

Kuroo gave him an easy smile back. “Kuroo Tetsurou. And this is?”

The man behind him had light hair and eyes that darted everywhere. When he turned to look at Kuroo he could feel the weight of the man’s attention.

“Ah! This is Semi. Semi Eita.”

“Nice to meet you,” Kuroo said, shaking that man’s hand as well.

“Please take care of us,” Semi said, inclining his head.

“Tendou works with computers,” Kenma said, slipping in silent and close, hand absently tugging at Kuroo’s shirt. 

“I see,” Kuroo said. He wanted to hold Kenma’s hand, but the blond wasn’t looking up. Instead he had his handheld out, checking on something.

Kuroo wasn’t sure he liked the curiosity in Tendou’s gaze when it was turned on Kenma. It quickly shifted off and behind them. Kuroo turned and looked to see that Lev and Yaku had walked in.

“Ah!” Tendou said, walking over to them, shadowed by Semi. “It’s good to see you again. I don’t think I caught your full names before.”

Kenma looked up, watching him.

“Problems?” Kuroo asked.

“I don’t trust him,” Kenma said, then shrugged. “But I don’t have any reason to trust them. It will probably be fine.

Kuroo gave into temptation and ruffled his hair, watching as Kenma’s nose scrunched up at that. It was normal, usual. He was probably just worried for nothing.

“He said he had information to share though,” Kenma said, slipping his handheld in his pocket and looking up. “We should go check it out.”

Kuroo nodded, trying out another smile. 

Kenma mirrored it back in miniature like he normally did, but all too soon he turned away and started over toward Tendou and the others.

“It’s just been a long few days, bro,” Bokuto murmured beside him.

Kuroo looked over, grateful suddenly beyond words. “For all of us,” he muttered, feeling the other man pat him on his back.

“We’ll get this done soon,” Bokuto said, words like a promise. “The tech guys will figure out where they’re holding Akaashi, you and I will raid the place and perform a daring heroic rescue, nab the bad guys and get glorious promotions before spending two weeks in bed.”

“Two weeks, eh?”

“Too greedy?”

“Nah. I was thinking I could use more like a month.”

Bokuto chuckled and they followed the others inside. “I like the way you think.”

“Thanks, bro.”

“No problem. Got your back.”

“Same,” Kuroo said, grin on his face gaining authenticity as he watched his friend’s face. There was a burning purpose in his golden eyes, a confidence that what he willed would come to pass. Kuroo needed that strength of belief right now. It felt so much more normal than the worry he’d had ever since Daishou came back in on the scene.

“Man,” Kuroo muttered, “I sure am glad you’re back.”

“Aww, thanks man, I’m touched.”

Kuroo laughed, and straightened his back was they entered the conference room. It was time to get to work.


	37. Picture Perfect Lives

Kenma didn’t trust Tendou.

It might’ve only been because there were so many people crowded around the conference table. Possibly it was because Kenma had a hard time trusting anyone, especially Alephians from other tribes. But overall it probably didn’t help that the man had been more than willing to cause severe agony to both him and his acquaintances only hours earlier. 

He wasn’t sure.

Perhaps it was only that the man seemed willing to be so damn helpful.

“This is the location where we met with them,” Tendou said, tapping on a map of the city. It was one of the buildings related to the Kita branch. Kenma watched as Tendou pulled it up in the middle of the table, narrowing in on the building and even pointing out the office where Daishou and the others had been located. “I don’t know if they’re still there. The network is closed off there, but -”

“We have access,” Kunimi murmured, patching in and opening it up to both Kenma and Tendou. Kenma still wasn’t sure how he felt about giving Tendou access to the ship’s data. Practically, he knew that it didn’t matter what he wanted. Tendou was physically present, he’d be able to hack past any defense other than one put up by a fellow Anakris. 

Maybe Kenma was just put off by having someone come in who was naturally more gifted than he was at the things in which Kenma normally excelled. 

Maybe Kenma was just upset for other reasons.

Sighing internally he glanced over at Kuroo, noting the bags under the other man’s eyes. He tried cordoning off the emotions that tried to well up. He’d told Kuroo it didn’t matter. Told him he’d love him regardless of what he’d done, that he’d always be his. He was the one who’d said they could talk about it later.

It wasn’t Kuroo’s fault that the questions and possibilities were trying to multiply in Kenma’s subconscious. He knew Kuroo. It was probably blown out of proportion. Quite possibly Kenma already knew whatever it was he wanted to say. They’d deal with it, work it out, and go on.

Unfortunately, until they did, it seemed that a part of Kenma would continue to be worried.

“Ah,” Kenma said, pausing in the middle of his thoughts as one of his inquiries bore fruit. 

Tendou glanced over at Kenma, then looked down as the blond shared his information with the others. 

“This feed caught them getting into a vehicle,” Kenma said. He synced the timestamp of the footage with other more public camera feeds, following the vehicle as it left the building and traced a path through the city streets. “I’ve got it up until - ah.”

He lost it as it entered a more residential section, a neighborhood of high-class mansions. Frowning Kenma started a search of likely destinations, looking for property related to Kita employees.

“Got it back,” Tendou said. He projected an aerial video. Satellite feed, if Kenma was correct. It followed the vehicle as it wound through the long roads and entered the gate of a mansion, pulling into a garage.

“Wow,” Bokuto breathed out. “Do you think that’s where they’re holding Akaashi?”

“Yes,” Kunimi said. “Well, it’s a high probability. Their security system is tied in with the same Kita network that we got connected to earlier. Look.”

Kenma watched as a three-dimensional schematic of the mansion flashed up in the middle of the table. A few taps later and there were colored lights in different rooms. They updated every few seconds. People.

There were a few in the lower quarters, near the kitchens. Those were probably the workers. Two were in a large room on the top floor. Another two were in what looked like a study. One, though.

One was lying down in a bedroom.

It could be nothing. It could be just a visitor. 

“Is that him?” Bokuto said, finger stabbing in through the hologram to the shape in the bedroom. “Is that Akaashi?”

“It might be,” Kunimi said, tapping away. “Let me - ah. Here, I think I can -”

“Stop,” Tendou said.

Kunimi lifted his hands up automatically, and they watched as Tendou tapped away furiously. 

“Ah, there, sorry,” Tendou said. “Someone was sneaking up on you. We probably need to keep a lower profile here unless we want to be traced back.”

Kenma frowned as the lights in the house stopped moving. He looked over at Bokuto, hating the crestfallen look on his face. For a moment, silence reigned.

“I was able to get this before we got kicked out,” Kunimi said, soft voice clear.

Kenma held his breath as a simple video clip came up. It wasn’t long, only thirty seconds or so. It showed a picture of two men seated across from each other at a table. The camera was on the ceiling behind one of the men, so his face wasn’t clearly visible. Another man stood next to him.

The other man seated at the table -

The other was Akaashi.

“Akaashi..” Bokuto said, fists curling tight on the surface of the conference table.

He was awake in the video. Alive, not injured as far as Kenma could see. Cool, calm, collected - no, wait.

He was watching something on the table, something hidden by the other man’s silhouette. Whatever it was, Kenma didn’t like it.

He didn’t like it because Akaashi was starting to look afraid.

His was tensing up, eyes locked on whatever the other man was holding. The standing man was tensing up as well, walking off hurriedly. Then the man with his back to them leaned forward. Then finally, finally, they saw what was on the table.

“Snake,” Kuroo hissed.

It was going straight at Akaashi. He looked terrified. It was in a very Akaashi way, but still. He looked terrified.

Kenma cursed under his breath as the video stopped. “He’s fine,” Kenma muttered. “He’s fine. He’ll be fine.”

“What?” Bokuto asked, turning to him with a mixture of worry and hope.

“That’s probably the snake they brought in. It shouldn’t have any adverse affects, not really. He probably just went unconscious while his body processed the venom.”

“Snake?” Tendou asked. Kenma motioned for Kunimi to send him the information.

“Alright,” Bokuto said, standing up. “That’s it. We know where they are, we know they have him, time to go extract him now. Before they have time to do anything else messed up.”

Kuroo nodded, standing as well. “Ok, Bo and I -”

“I’m going too, Kuroo-san!” Lev said.

“Ok -”

“And I’ll go for us,” Iwaizumi said.

Nodding, Kenma stood. “Ok. So the five of us -”

“No.”

Kenma looked up at Kuroo, raising an eyebrow. “No?”

They stared at each other a moment. Kenma was acutely aware of the eyes of the other people in the room, especially Tendou. Most of all, though, he was aware of Kuroo’s eyes, that irritating look he sometimes got when he attempted to put his foot down.

Kenma hated it when Kuroo got overprotective. It made him come across as arrogant. 

“I’m sorry,” Kenma said, “But you’ll have to excuse us for a moment.”

He was seething by the time they got into the hall.

“What are you doing?” He asked, glaring up at Kuroo. “Why is this even a question? Akaashi’s kidnapped. There’s no way I’m sitting back -”

“I can’t let you go.”

“Can’t let me? What the -”

Kuroo put his hands on Kenma’s shoulders, and Kenma wanted nothing more than to shove him off. “Kenma, I -”

“Let go,” Kenma growled.

Kuroo stepped back, looking down, breath sharp and fast.

“You don't get to order me around.”

“Kenma,” Kuroo repeated, looking up at him. There was actual fear on his face now, and his hands were clenching like they wanted to hold onto him again. “Please.”

“You don't get to order me around. You don’t get to tell me what to do in front of other people like that.”

He expected an apology at this point. Expected Kuroo to whine or make excuses, possibly. This thing with Daishou was scaring him. 

“He wants to hurt me,” Kuroo finally said, looking at the floor again. “He wants to hurt me, and he knows who you are to me. He knows how important you are. If he ever got his hands on you...”

Kenma went cold. A million questions popped into his head. Kuroo really had been keeping secrets.

“He’s only human,” Kenma said, wishing that really made things better.

Wishing that they were invincible. 

But they weren’t. 

Kuroo didn’t answer. He just looked at Kenma with that broken gaze, the gaze that had no right to sit on Kuroo’s face. It needed to be fixed.

Coming to a decision, Kenma stepped forward towards Kuroo and looked up into his eyes.

“You will tell me everything,” Kenma said, watching as Kuroo nodded. “You will go get Akaashi. You and Bokuto and Akaashi will come back safe and sound, and then you will tell me everything, and we will deal with it.”

Kenma watched as Kuroo’s shoulders slumped in some sort of relief at that, and he looked up.

“I love you,” Kuroo said.

Kenma nodded. “I know,” he replied. Of all the facts in the universe, he knew he could count on that. He just also hated that there were secrets piling up between them now. It was his fault too, he knew. His fault for not insisting on the truth, for being willing to turn a blind eye because he thought that the details weren’t that important. If he’d known -

But he couldn’t change the past.

The door slid open and Bokuto peeked out. “Guys,” he said, biting his bottom lip.

Kuroo sucked in a breath and stood up straighter, reaching out again to Kenma. Kenma took his hand and squeezed, looking Kuroo in the eye.

“Ok,” Kenma said. “Ok. Remember what I said.”

“I promise,” Kuroo said. “I promise all of that.”

Kenma nodded, then sucked in a breath as Kuroo swooped in for a kiss, hard and hot, full of all the desperation locked up in unspoken words. Kenma’s heart beat furiously, and he curled his free hand around Kuroo’s side. He loved him. He loved him. He loved him.

Then Kuroo was moving away, following Bokuto down the hall towards the equipment room, and they were gone.

~~  
It felt good to actually be taking action. 

Bokuto wasn’t made to sit at a conference table and talk. He wasn’t made to wait. He certainly wasn’t made to sit back and twiddle his thumbs while other people determined the wisest way they could attempt to rescue his lover and best friend.

This though - creeping in through shorted-out security fences, skirting cameras, and disabling warning systems - was what he was made to do.

The mansion loomed ahead of them, blocky and granite, all taupe and maroon. It looked like it wanted to be fancy but had missed the mark and now just looked ostentatious. Bokuto’s eyes immediately found the window to the room where they thought Akaashi was being held, wishing beyond all hope to see his lover standing at the window.

Of course, there was no one there.

He didn’t want to think about the state Akaashi might be in. He held fast to Kenma’s assurances about the snake. The fact that it looked like Akaashi was being held in a bedroom rather than a prison cell. The video of him tied up in a chair, terrified but essentially unharmed. 

Fantasies about all the things he wanted to do with Akaashi’s captors were at least minimally effective at distracting him from the worry that threatened to overwhelm him.

Being able to take action was even more effective.

Bokuto crept through the shade at the edge of the yard, hoping that his suit would do its job and hide him from the eyes of anyone looking out the window.

“No alerts yet,” Kenma’s voice said in his ear. 

“Thanks,” Bokuto said. He hated that they were going in semi-blind. None of the tech guys had been able to safely reestablish the connection to the feed that showed them where people were in the house.

At least their helmets would help once they got close.

Kuroo, in front of him, crept up on the back door. “Got an entry lock here, can you get it.”

“Just a second,” Kenma said. Bokuto heard some muttered conversation, then Kuroo opened the door.

“Thanks,” Kuroo murmured.

As they walked into the back hallway Bokuto frowned. No one was there. He remembered seeing the workers bustling around, cooks in the kitchen, cleaning staff in the lower halls. “It’s too quiet.”

“Yeah,” Iwaizumi said. “You want Lev and I to scout out this lower floor? Make sure there aren’t any big surprises, see if we can figure out where everyone’s gone?”

“Sounds good,” Bokuto answered. He glanced up. Kenma had laid out the map of this floor and their location in one side of his display, and he looked at it. “Yeah, you all make sure to secure the first floor. Kuroo and I will head up to the second. Be careful, these bastards are tricky.”

“It’ll be good!” Lev said.

“It had better be,” Yaku’s voice said, cutting in over Kenma’s feed.

“Don’t worry, Yaku-san!”

“Tch.”

Bokuto’s smile was tight. He motioned to Kuroo, and followed him around to the servant’s stairwell.

“Do you think it’s possible they caught wind of us coming?” Bokuto asked. If they had - his heart pounded with worry for Akaashi.

No one answered. It was possible. They all knew that. It was possible they’d just decided to leave for some reason. It was possible they’d fine Akaashi sleeping peaceful in a bedroom upstairs. It was possible that Daishou had decided Akaashi wasn’t worth keeping as a hostage and had -

No. 

He wasn’t going to go down that road.

Akaashi would be fine. They’d all go home and be happy together. That was the only possibility he was going to entertain, especially when they’d know the reality soon enough. 

“Ready?” Kuroo asked.

Bokuto nodded, and they started up the stairs.

“Still no sign of anyone down here,” Iwaizumi said. “You think maybe they all took the day off?”

“Possibly,” Kuroo murmured. “If you’re sure, go ahead and join us on the second floor - there should be another stairwell at the end of the east hallway.

“Sounds good,” Iwaizumi replied.

Bokuto wanted to switch the party chanel off so that he could just talk to Kuroo. He felt like words were buzzing in his chest. Fingers curling around the banister he watched the other man’s lithe form, deadly and quick as he ascended.

Kuroo glanced back at him as they got to the second floor. Bokuto nodded, looking at the wall and scanning for heat signatures. 

No one.

For a brief sinking moment he faced the possibility that the mansion might be empty, Akaashi gone.

Then Kuroo opened the door, and they heard the music.

~~

The range of Tendou’s sense of sentimentality was very small. It wasn’t that he disliked people outside that range. More often than not he enjoyed people. They were fascinating creatures, really, all full of complexity and unpredictability.

Well, unpredictability was a stretch, of course. Tendou could predict almost anything, given the proper set of data.

But that was beside the point.

No. The point, he’d found, wasn’t really about liking or enjoying people at all. He liked Kozume just fine. He had the sense that he’d like Kuroo fine as well, under the proper circumstances. Bokuto was amusing, and Oikawa, well. He’d probably enjoy Oikawa because of the plain and simple fact that he threw Ushijima off his game a bit.

Nothing ever threw Ushijima off his game.

But the fact that he liked them didn’t mean he would shirk his job.

It was fairly easy to split his attention between helping Kozume monitor the situation with the team on the ground and performing a bit of research. Kozume’s systems were well protected. A cursory poke at his defenses revealed very respectable walls protecting the ships data. Tendou could break though those walls, of course, but it would take more effort than he was willing to spare at the moment to do it in a way that would hide his intrusion. It wasn’t like he really needed to break in yet anyhow.

No, the most valuable pieces of information he’d gathered since coming onto the ship were two names. Yaku Morisuke and Lev Haiba. 

He’d figured out on the ride over that a search for Kozume Kenma or Kuroo Tetsurou didn’t yield any interesting results. Things might have been different if he was back on Aleph. Here, though, the names pulled up a banal set of details that Tendou suspected had been carefully crafted by Kozume Kenma himself to carefully seal off the truth behind lies both pretty and useful.

It was a very very good job. In all actuality, it was a perfect job.

Tendou was hoping that these two new names would yield better results.

He plugged the names in, listening with half an ear to Kenma’s questions was he typed. 

Yaku Morisuke. Grandson of Nekomata Yasufumi, current leader of the Nekoma group. Spent the last few months in rehab from a long stent in the genetanks because of injuries related to...

Ah. 

That was interesting. That was very interesting indeed.

“There’s someone still there,” Kozume murmured, bringing up the audio feed from the team in the mansion. Music. Classical. The name of the artist flashed into Tendou’s mind and then was filed away. It might be useful later, right now it was just a distracting detail.

Carefully Tendou saved the results of his search privately before clearing it out. He could come back to that later. Right now, there were other things to focus on.

Leaning forward, Tendou watched the action unfold.


	38. Music to soothe...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, t/w blood? maybe?

Music was playing when Akaashi woke up. He didn’t recognize the composer, but the style dated back to pre-colonial days, he was pretty sure. Something from Earth. Something with a deep stringed instrument, bow pulled slow and careful across the strings in a waltz.

It was pleasant. 

Much more pleasant than the cold tile floor beneath his back.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty,” Daishou said from somewhere above him. “I feel like I’m always waking you up.”

Akaashi wanted to say ‘that’s because you’re always knocking me out’ but his lips weren’t moving right. He just groaned, managing to blink his eyes open. The other man was staring down at him, that too-wrong too-right smile covering his face. There was an edge to it, a hint of desperation in the man’s eyes, cruelty at the corner of his lips. 

Everything felt heavy, even taking a breath. Akaashi tried moving his arms. He wasn’t tied down this time. It didn’t help. He was able to feel his elbows lift from the floor for just a moment, but then exhaustion brought them right back down.

Daishou chuckled, kneeling down and pulling out one of Akaashi’s arms, fingers tracing the inside of his wrist. “You Alephians are tricky,” he said, tapping the skin. “So resistant to so many drugs. And chemical weapons - it’s not fair, really. You should blame your own kind that we have anything that works at all. What you’re on right now won’t kill you, but it does make you nice and docile. Unfortunately that means you won’t be able to fight back.”

Akaashi managed to swallow the saliva that had been gathering in his mouth, and frowned up at Daishou, turning his head to follow the other man’s gaze.

There was a -

He had no idea what it was. It took his brain a minute to even process. There was a mass in the middle of the room. A breathing mass, green and brown and shimmery and scaly. Slowly Akaashi picked out limbs, and claws, and what might be a snout. It didn’t fit any idea of a thing that he had, though. 

One red eye opened lazily, The tail, Akaashi saw, was swishing in time to the music.

“Beautiful isn’t it?” Daishou said. “They call it a chimera. Normally I prefer just straight snakes, of course, but this has potential. That patch on the back is pure canine. Most of the rest is reptile, with a bit of avian and some other things, possibly shark, though I’m not sure. The perfect genetically engineered pet.”

Akaashi shivered, trying to convince his body to move. He wasn’t good at helpless. 

“We haven’t fed it in a while. Fortunately for the both of us, it’s very fond of this music. Its creators made it a built-in failsafe, a way to keep it in a state of calm. I only regret I won’t be able to see it in action this time. Maybe I’ll come back and see the end result,” Daishou said, thumb brushing over the tendons in Akaashi’s wrist. “I’ve heard that once it has its prey down it likes to take its time. That’s a point that will work in your favor.”

The sight of a knife in Daishou’s free hand distracted Akaashi from the questions he’d been forming in his mind. He tried to jerk his arm out of the other man’s grasp but only succeeded in making another indelicate sound, causing Daishou to chuckle as he pressed the tip of the knife to Akaashi’s arm, slicing through the first few layers of skin and drawing it down in a straight line to the base of his palm.

For a moment he didn’t feel anything, then it hurt. Akaashi watched the parted flesh, seeing it white for just a moment until red started seeping out. The cut wasn’t too deep. He supposed he should be grateful for that. He wondered if the nanites inside him could heal it, clot the wound before he bled out. He thought of the rumors he’d heard about sharks and blood.

Glancing over, he saw the creature’s eyes were both open, and it was looking his way, forked tongue flicking out of its mouth. It was still resting though, still calm.

For now.

“Remember, Akaashi - if you survive this, of course - that things could have been much worse. We could have had a lot more fun together,” Daishou said, letting his thumb slide over through the blood running out of the gash in Akaashi’s arm. He splayed his hand in the red liquid, getting some on his shirt in the process. “It’s too bad, really. If we’d had more time - oh, the things I could have shown you. Ah well. I’ll just have to save that creativity for another one of your friends.”

Akaashi drew no comfort from the words, not as he watched Daishou stand, licking at his thumb before sliding the knife back into a sheath at his waist. He could feel his blood running out of his arm, pooling underneath the back of his hand. 

“Kuguri always says I’m too theatrical,” Daishou mused. “Maybe I should’ve just killed you outright. Recorded the look on Kuroo’s face as he found you.”

Akaashi curled the fingers of his hands, wishing he could move, wanting to rip the smirk right off the other man’s face. He wasn’t prone to violence, but for this man he’d make an exception.

“Ah well. It’s more fun like this,” Daishou said, turning and waving. “Good luck, Akaashi. Time for me to go talk to some of your friends. Bokuto-san, was it? Lovely pictures of him. I wonder what he’s like.”

“Nnngh...” Akaashi said, wanting to stop the man before he walked out the door. 

Bokuto was here.

Akaashi wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing.

Bokuto was here and Daishou knew about it. Had he set up a trap?

The classical music echoed in the room, and Akaashi lay back, fingers twitching as his hands grew cold. Of course Daishou had set up a trap. Akaashi was the bait. Akaashi, and the beast subdued in the middle of the room, and the ever-widening pool of Akaashi’s blood on the floor.

Cold. It was so cold, and it kept getting colder.

~~~~~~~~

The stairs at the east end of the house were nothing like the ones Iwaizumi had climbed most of his life. They were wide and deep, made out of marble, running both upstairs and down to the garage. Iwaizumi ran a gloved hand over the wooden banister, glancing down into the space between where it curved, seeing the drop off to concrete far below.

Then he heard a loud splat next to him, and looked up to see a green globule on the stair at eye level just a few feet away.

It was glowing, and pulsing. That, in Iwaizumi’s experience, was never a good sign.

Iwaizumi turned and pushed back, feeling Lev pull him as they fell back into the hall in time for the wall to protect them from the explosion. Fire ripped through the space behind them, knocking Iwaizumi into the wall as Lev fell against him. His ears rang. For a moment, everything was dizzy.

“You alright?” He asked Lev.

The tall man nodded, pushing up and helping Iwaizumi to his feet. 

“Sorry about that,” a voice called out. “It’s just it’s a private party up here. I’m not sure who you are, but you aren’t invited.”

Iwaizumi frowned, following Lev back into the stairwell to look up at the landing above the now-ruined staircase. Two men were standing there. One had a weapon idly cocked at his side, and the other, shorter, was the one who had spoken.

“Just stay on down there like good little - eh?”

There was a roar beside Iwaizumi and Lev lept impossibly high and fast, clearing the gaping hole where the stairs had been and shoving the man with the gun back behind him. He cursed, gun slipping out of his hand and clattering to the stairs below. He managed to grab ahold of the edge of the stairs, pulling himself up. 

“Oh for the love of,” he muttered, rolling over and staring at the muzzle of Iwaizumi’s gun. “Perfect.”

“Hold still,” Iwaizumi said.

The man sighed. “Are you going to shoot me?” He asked, slowly pushing himself up. 

“I might.”

A loud crash above them drew Iwaizumi’s attention and when he looked back, the man was standing. 

“I said hold still.”

The man studied him a moment. “You’re one of those Seijou guys, aren’t you. I remember your picture. Gamer, right? Iwaizumi?”

Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes. “You’re a part of the group framing us.”

“No, not really.”

“You work for them. The ones who care more about money than the health of children. The ones who would sell false medicine to kids knowing it could rob them of their future.”

The man shrugged. “I’m just along for the ride.”

“You don’t care?”

There was a faint smile on the other man’s lips at that. “Well. I suppose you could say I’ve been involved in worse.”

Iwaizumi narrowed his eyes at that, tempted to just shoot the man right then and there. Before he had the chance, however, the man moved and spun, hitting Iwaizumi’s hands with his foot. The gun flew through the hole blown in the staircase and clattered to the floor below.

“Whoops,” the man said, then he turned and started toward the door. 

Iwaizumi launched himself at him, catching the man around the waist and knocking him to the ground. An elbow jabbed at his side and Iwaizumi had to let go, rolling back and to his feet before aiming a punch at the still prone man. The man twisted and caught his fist, pulling Iwaizumi off-balance and scrambling to get himself up, running off again. There was another crash from up above.

Iwaizumi hoped that Lev was alright.

He ran after the man, following him as they wove through the fancy items that decorated the house. Iwaizumi picked up a statuette and threw it at the guy, hitting him in the shoulder and making him curse. The man toppled a large vase filled with long multicolored leaves of grass. Iwaizumi jumped over it, looking for something, anything he could use to stop the man in his path.

“Just give up already,” the man panted, rubbing his head as a book bashed against it. “Why do you all put so much effort into -”

Iwaizumi ducked to the side as the man threw back a vase filled with multiple sharp metal objects, the force of the throw embedding them in the wall. He raised a hand to his arm, feeling cool air where one of the object had sliced through his jacket. Crazy. 

Then he turned the corner, warier now, but the man was already gone. Thirty feet ahead of him, running for the main staircase.

“You ok, Lev? Kuroo? Bokuto?”

Frowning at the lack of reply he raised a hand to his helmet, hitting it on the side. The speaker cut back on, and he heard classical music.

He repeated his question. A growl was the only reply he got from Lev. At least he was alive.

“We’re still here,” Kuroo answered. 

“Alright,” Iwaizumi said, making his way carefully through the broken objects scattered on the ground. “There’s a man coming up the main staircase towards you. Be careful.”

“Will do.”

~~~

The music was coming from the room in front of them.

Kuroo and Bokuto exchanged glances. He could see one person standing on the far end of the room. Carefully he reached over and opened the door, pushing at it before peeking around the door jam, gun first.

“You,” Kuroo said, glaring at the man at the end of the room.

“Hello, Tetsurou,” Daishou said, smiling. He was dressed in a loose shirt and pants, and looked unarmed except for a box in his hand. Distrustful, Kuroo looked around as he entered to give Bokuto room to follow him inside. It was a long room, with double doors behind Daishou and another smaller door in the wall next to him on the other end of the room. Other than that, it was empty - no furniture, nothing.

“Where’s Akaashi?” Bokuto growled, starting forward.

“Ah, I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” Daishou said, pressing a button on the box. Immediately, the volume of the music decreased. “Well, you can if you want. But I wouldn’t advise it. I wouldn’t advise any false moves.”

Daishou was a liar. The trouble was, sometimes his lies were tinged with truth. Kuroo didn’t know why they should be so worried about a music remote, but it was not outside the realm of possibility for the bastard to have something up his sleeve that would make the volume of the music extremely important. He might have just set things up so that they wouldn’t realize the importance until it was too late. Either that, or the music was just a bluff, a way to misdirect their attention.

Kuroo knew all about being misdirected by Daishou. All too often it was a no-win situation with him - either that, or you thought you were winning until it became very very obvious you had lost.

Craning his head to the side, Daishou eyed the entrance. “Where’s precious little Kenma? I did so hope to meet him after all this time.”

Kuroo hurt a faint inhale from Kenma through the speakers in his helmet.

“I’m surprised. I thought you two were almost inseparable. Well, other than the times we were together. Though he was there in spirit, wasn’t he?” Daishou asked.

Kuroo felt sick. He wanted to tell Kenma to stop listening. 

“Your face,” Daishou said. “Even through that helmet, your face looks so good, Kuroo.” He tilted his head to the side. “What, can he hear me? Can you hear me, Kenma? Hello, Kenma. He’s back on your ship, isn’t he. Is Tendou with him? Tell him thanks for all his help. I don’t know what I would’ve done without him.”

“He’s lying,” came Tendou’s voice, a whisper through Kenma’s mic. “The last time I talked to him was when I let him know we were cutting ties because they’d falsified the warrant.”

Kuroo didn’t know whether to believe him or not, but the words were probably directed more at Kenma anyhow. Kenma would handle things.

Kenma was going to kill him.

“I wanted to congratulate him on the job you did with Shiratorizawa, by the way. I’m not sure how you pulled it off. My employers are going to be so upset when they find out what happened. I suppose they’ll find out when your people pull up to arrest them, though. I certainly haven’t told them. I figure it’s only fair, since they failed to inform us how flimsy their evidence was. If you’re going to frame someone,” Daishou said, looking at Kuroo, “You really should make sure that it will stick.”

The words hit him like a punch to the gut. It sounded so personal, like it had been personal even in the beginning. “Why?” 

“Poor poor Kuroo,” Daishou spit out. “Maybe I should tell Kenma exactly what -”

“Stop fucking talking and tell us where the hell Akaashi is,” Bokuto interrupted, growling.

“Your new teammate is quite rude,” Daishou said. “But if you must know, he’s in the room behind me.”

Daishou turned, motioning to the double doors behind him. Something about the move seemed off. Crafted. It took a moment for Kuroo to start to realize what it was. Kuroo’s stomach twisted. “You’re distracting us,” he said, sucking in a breath as he caught sight of something red on Daishou’s sleeve. “Blood.”

“What?” Bokuto said at the same time that the door in the side of the room swung open.

“Time to go,” called a voice from behind the door. 

“I guess I’ll have to play with you later,” Daishou said, smirking. He threw the box in his hand down onto the ground where it broke into a million pieces as he went for the open door. The music stopped. Bokuto ran towards the double doors at the end of the room.

“You get Akaashi,” Kuroo yelled as he started sprinting. “I’ll go after Daishou.”

Bokuto didn’t say anything, just ran. He reached the double doors and flung it open just as Kuroo reached the side door.

“Oh my - fuck - Akaashi -” Bokuto gasped out. “Kuroo, I need -”

Halting, Kuroo took one last look at the door where Daishou had disappeared before running over to Bokuto.

Akaashi was lying in the other room, surrounded by a puddle of blood. There was an animal licking at the pool. 

Akaashi was white as a sheet.

Akaashi’s eyes were closed.

“Akaashi!” Bokuto called out again, pulling out his gun with shaking hands. The animal lifted its head and turned to them, growling.

Kuroo had no frame of reference to let him know what the animal might be. He just knew it was big, with too many limbs and fangs and scales that seemed to slither on its body as he watched. Even the way it moved was wrong, like some of its feet were on backwards, though it all worked together in a way that would have been graceful if its mouth hadn’t been covered with Akaashi’s blood. “Monster,” he said. “Kenma, what is -”

“I think,” Kenma said softly, “that that’s the dog.”

Bokuto lifted the gun just as the animal gathered itself up and leapt.


	39. The Most Savage of Beasts

Kenma’s fingers pressed sharply into the glass as he watched the creature land right where Bokuto had been standing a few moments before. His shot had gone wild, gun knocked out of his grasp when Kuroo barreled into him. The claws. Kenma could hear the claws of the creature scratching on the marble floor of the room as it rounded on them, attention shifting from one man to the other as Bokuto and Kuroo split apart. 

Don’t let it get you in its grasp, Kenma though. He was afraid to say anything, though. Afraid that anything he said would distract them the split second needed for the animal to gain the upper hand.

“That thing’s illegal,” Tendou said. “We didn’t do this. We wouldn’t have helped them do this.”

“I can’t argue about this right now,” Kenma muttered, looking over at Akaashi and then flicking over to the other two feeds. At this point, he wasn’t really sure what he believed. There were far too many things going on to worry about Tendou right now. 

“It’s true.”

“Because you’re such a good friend to us,” Kenma said, wishing he could bite back the sarcasm as soon as he’d said it. He saw Semi lean forward, already frowning. Kenma didn’t have time for this. Lev had been brought down, temporarily dazed, jumped from behind by the fourth member as he wailed on the third. At least he hadn’t sustained any major injuries. Iwaizumi had found him and they were chasing the four up the stairs but - 

Fuck. Cursing under his breath he started the ship. He should’ve been airborne from the time they knew Nohebi had seen them coming.

They’d be too late. Already as he watched Daishou and the others were airborne in a small ship. He could tag it he could chase them, but there was no way he was going to leave the others alone in the house. Not with Akaashi bleeding out.

“I’m not your friend,” Tendou said. “But I’m not his either. That chimera - let me back in. I have an idea.”

Kenma was loathe to do it. He’d locked Tendou out earlier as a precautionary measure. Now, it didn’t seem to matter.

He looked over at the other Alephian, seeing his eyes flashing yellow. Possibilities and probabilities flashed through his mind. Ultimately, Tendou would probably be more help than hindrance.

“Fine,” he said, unlocking Tendou’s console and watching as the man dove deep into a search.

There were too many thing going on for him to worry about getting everything right. Kenma just hoped that none of the mistakes he was inevitably making would have lethal consequences.

It could be worse. 

Nohebi could’ve wired the mansion to blow. That didn’t seem to be the case. Kenma had broken through the security systems defenses, cutting the mansion off from anyone else who might’ve been monitoring it. There would probably be blowback, but they’d deal.

It could be worse.

They could’ve killed Akaashi outright, or done any one of a half-dozen other things, filled the hallways with acid bombs, produced robots to shower the four with projectiles, all sorts of things. Some of them haunted Kenma’s brain from his times at war.

It could be worse.

But when staring at Akaashi’s still form, at the puddle of blood spreading out while a huge hulking creature tried to eviscerate Kuroo and Bokuto, it was hard for Kenma to see a bright side. 

It could be worse, but it was pretty damn bad.

He couldn’t let himself be distracted. 

“Medical,” he murmured.

“I’ll go get things. Kindaichi, can you help?” Oikawa said. “I’ve got training, if you can put us down on the roof we can meet up with Iwa-chan and tall-chan and go down to meet Kuroo and Bokuto.”

Tall-chan. It was amusing for half a second as Kenma nodded, glancing at Yaku. Yaku would stay here, along with Kunimi. Kenma wasn’t giving his ship up to Tendou and Semi, even if he’d been more than willing to leave earlier. Too many balls in the air.

He delegated the medical things to Oikawa, trusting he could handle this. Tendou was working on something with the chimera. Landing the ship on the mansion roof he lowered the ramp. Oikawa and Kindaichi were gathering supplies in the medbay. Lev and Iwaizumi were coming up. Bokuto and Kuroo were fighting the animal. Akaashi was still bleeding out.

Kenma couldn’t do a damn thing more than what he’d been doing.

His phone rang.

He wanted to ignore it. He had far too much going on. He let it ring out.

It rang again.

Cursing he looked at the screen, stomach twisting. He answered.

“You’re not Akaashi,” he said.

“Nope. I could act like him if you want, though. Maybe. He’s a bit of a cold fish.”

Kenma hung up the phone.

Immediately it started ringing again.

“Don’t hang up on me again, Kenma-chan,” Daishou said, poison dripping from every word. “I might be able to tell you how to save your friends. How are they doing by the way? Not good, right?”

Kenma was silent as he watched the screen. Bokuto and Kuroo were holding their own, but that was all they were doing. Already the sensors in Bokuto’s suit were registering that the wound on his thigh had reopened. Kuroo was drawing the monster’s attention as much as he could. His enhanced speed and reflexes were working to his advantage, but Kenma knew eventually even Kuroo’s stamina would give out.

“Did he ever tell you about me, Kenma-chan? You don’t mind if I call you Kenma-chan, do you? Of course you don’t. He talked about you a lot, you know. About how much he adored you, how important you were to him. In all the many many nights we were together, he would talk about you for hours. Some men might find it offputting, I suppose. Personally, it just made me want to meet you more.”

Kenma swallowed, shaking his head as Tendou glanced over at him. He’d suspected that Kuroo had been involved with Daishou, even though he’d never said as much. It was the only thing that made sense. It was easy enough to rationalize excuses for why Kuroo hadn’t said anything. 

Technically, it was against the rules. Kenma didn’t care who Kuroo slept with as long as he was safe and told Kenma about it afterwards. Kuroo probably would’ve told him if things hadn’t happened with Yaku and Lev. He was probably just ashamed. Kenma could forgive that.

At least, that was how he’d excused Kuroo’s behavior to himself in the past, used it as a way to convince himself he didn’t care. 

That excuse seemed rather worthless right now.

“He never mentioned it,” Kenma muttered. “I guess you just weren’t that important.”

Daishou laughed. “Bullshit,” he hissed. “He let me do whatever I wanted to him. Anything and everything, and he loved it. He just kept coming back for more. He was going to leave Nekoma and come and join me, you know? Convince you to come as well, because we all know he’d never leave you behind. We’d even talk about the three of us together. He told me he likes to watch. Do you think he’d still like to watch the two of us together?”

“You’re delusional,” Kenma said.

Daishou just laughed, and continued talking. He was a liar. Kenma knew that. Didn’t know how to pick out the truth from the lies. There were so many details he knew that were true, and the guilt in Kuroo’s face kept coming back to haunt him. Some things he knew were lies, though. Kuroo would’ve never leave Nekoma willingly. He hadn’t even wanted to leave when they were going to kill him.

The rest though - fuck.

He felt nauseous, locking the emotion away inside of him. Daishou wanted him to react. Wanted him to be hurt. Intellectually he knew that.

He was hurt, though.

He lifted his fingers and traced Kuroo’s form as he jumped around the screen, landing hit after ineffective hit on the monster, always just barely twisting away from those claws that wanted to tear him in half. 

“Got it,” Tendou said. “Punch me into their suits. I need to -”

Kenma gave him access without thinking. Suddenly music began playing from the outside speakers in Bokuto and Kuroo’s suits. For a moment Kenma just looked at Tendou quizzically, then he noticed.

The beast’s movements were slowing.

Maybe, just maybe the two of them would have a chance.

“Did you have a point to all this,” Kenma asked Daishou, pushing every ounce of boredom he could into the voice.

“Don’t piss me off Kenma, or your friends are dead.”

“I don’t think so,” Kenma said, watching as Oikawa and the others rushed down the ramp and into the mansion. “I think we found out the trick to your little game. Thanks for the hint, by the way.”

“What?”

“I also think that after this is all over,” Kenma whispered, turning his head away from Tendou’s prying eyes, “that I am going to find you. You and I will have a very long talk, after which, you will be leaving my boyfriend and my friends the fuck alone.”

“That’s not very cute.”

“Oh, I don’t know. If you’re lucky, I might let you walk away from our conversation under your own power. Maybe. Or maybe I can involve some of your friends in our conversation as well. Just, you know, to reciprocate the hospitality you showed Akaashi.”

There was silence for a moment, then Daishou said, “I see the kitten has claws.”

“Only when properly motivated,” Kenma murmured, curling his hands into fists to hide the way they were shaking. “I’ll talk to you later.”

Then he hung up.

Tendou was watching him.

“What?” Kenma asked.

“Nothing,” Tendou replied, still watching. It was annoying.

At least the fight with the chimera seemed to be going better.

“Thank you,” Kenma finally said, exhaustion pouring over him. He checked the phone, but Daishou hadn’t called back. 

He should probably trace the number.

Daishou had probably already dumped the phone.

Kenma was cold and hot at the same time. He felt sick. He was still trembling. Yaku was watching him, concern in his eyes.

It would be alright. At the end of this, everything would be alright. They would be happy. They would find a normal.

It felt like nothing would ever be alright again.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Akaashi was dying.

Bokuto was in hell.

Akaashi was dying, bleeding out. His skin was pale and Bokuto couldn’t fucking get to him because of the fucking monster in his path. He very rarely hated someone upon first meeting them, but Daishou had jumped onto that list really quickly.

For a moment Bokuto paused, watching as Kuroo slammed a hit home on the monster’s side, right behind one of his legs. Finally, finally their blows seemed to be making headway. Bokuto had already tried with a knife since his gun had been knocked away to a corner of the room behind the monster.

The knife had just glanced off the creatures fucking scales. Its own claws were not so harmless. Bokuto was lucky as hell that he’d been able to get away with just a few shallow gashes on his arm - papercuts really. The armour built into his suit had protected him from everything else. 

“I hate this music,” Bokuto said.

“Yeah,” Kuroo breathed out, jumping back and rolling under a stray table that had been pushed up close to the wall. The monster jumped on top of it, crashing down through the wood and causing splinters to rain down in the air. Luckily Kuroo was already out and on the other side, jumping back towards the monster with a spinning kick. “It’s slower now tho - maybe I can distract it long enough for you to get to Akaashi?”

It sounded like a plan.

Bokuto ran, one eye on Akaashi and the other on the gun. Priorities, priorities. He heard the roar of the monster behind him, heard Kuroo curse and that decided it. He dove for his gun, feeling the swipe of claws behind him as he grabbed it and rolled, turning and shooting blindly up at the mass bearing down on him.

It howled, and he knew he’d struck. Then its weight was on him and he felt those limbs curling around him, jaws crashing down on his helmet. 

“Get off my fucking -” he heard from Kuroo before he saw the man’s arm curl around the monster’s neck, wrenching its head back. There was a knife in Kuroo’s other arm. He jabbed into the monster’s eye. Bokuto barely even felt punctures in his sides. He was too busy trying to push the creature’s weight off of him. It hurt, fuck it hurt but he didn’t care.

It was slowing, groaning. Kuroo helped pull the creature off of him. Bokuto felt blood dripping down his side but he didn’t know if it was his or the monster and he didn’t care. He was all about Akaashi.

He knelt beside his lover, wiping gore off of his helmet so that he could see it properly. Stripping off his gloves he checked for a pulse. Fluttering, faint, but there. The door at the other end of the hall crashed open and he turned, gun drawn, and met Oikawa’s eyes.

Oikawa just huffed and hurried over to him, kneeling with Bokuto beside Akaashi.

“They got away,” Oikawa said. “Bastards flew out.”

His hands were busy pulling the edges of Akaashi’s wound together and spraying it down with a sealant. He said something to Iwaizumi beside him. There were bags, tubes, things stuck in Akaashi’s arm. 

Blood. He’d lost too much blood.

“He’s going to be ok, right?” Bokuto said.

Oikawa didn’t answer. He was too busy running some sort of scan over Akaashi’s body, attaching something to his brain. 

Akaashi was here. His heart was beating. He was breathing. He had to be ok.

They were kneeling in Akaashi’s blood. 

Bokuto took Akaashi’s other hand, squeezing his fingers. His hand was so cold. There were marks on his wrist where the bastards had restrained him. Bokuto could see a nasty bite wound on his neck, two inflamed puncture marks. 

The things he wanted to do to Daishou and his men -

He didn’t believe in hate. It was a foreign concept. But they’d hurt Akaashi. His Akaashi. The most precious person to him in the world. Daishou had devised this elaborate trap, this game. They’d brought this monster here intentionally.

Because of Kuroo.

Bokuto looked over and up, seeing Kuroo standing there. He looked so stricken, so upset, holding himself back. Daishou had hurt Akaashi, almost killed him, but his mind games were tearing Kuroo apart bit by bit.

“Bro,” Bokuto said, feeling his heart hurt at the anguish on the other man’s face.

Kuroo’s eyes widened and he hesitated one more moment before coming over to kneel on the other side of Akaashi, one hand reaching out to rub Bokuto’s back. 

Bokuto needed him.

They all needed each other.

“He’s going to be alright,” Oikawa finally said, sitting back on his knees. “He lost a lot of blood, but his vitals are better than I might’ve expected. Probably that Alephian heritage of his.”

Bokuto glanced at Oikawa sharply, and the other man just shrugged.

“What, you expect me to hang around all of you this long and not pick up on a few things?”

“No,” Bokuto said, squeezing Akaashi’s hand and watching his face. “No, I guess not.”

Akaashi looked serene. Color was starting to come back into his face but it was still wan. He looked even more tired than usual, the circles under his eyes so dark. Too dark. Bokuto wanted to kiss them away, kiss him awake. He remembered stories about princesses woken by true love’s kiss.

Man, Akaashi would kick his ass if he knew Bokuto had thought about him as a princess even for a second.

He wanted Akaashi to kick his ass.

He wanted Akaashi to wake up.

“We’ve got him,” Kuroo murmured, helmet knocking against Bokuto’s. “Whatever else, we’ve got him.”

Bokuto nodded, giving Oikawa a grateful look. “We need to get him back to the ship.”

“Yeah.”

“Can I just carry him?”

Looking hesitant a moment, Oikawa slowly nodded. “I don’t think he has any injuries to his back or spine. It’s just the blood loss, and we’ve stopped that. Just be careful of the IV.”

“I can carry the bag,” Kuroo said. “We’ll walk together.”

“Alright,” Bokuto said, carefully gathering Akaashi up into his arms.

He wanted to cry. That would fog up his helmet even more. Akaashi just felt so light in his arms, so cold. Kuroo was careful to take the arm and the IV bag, walking next to Bokuto as they slowly made their way back to the ship.

“I need to call Yamiji,” Bokuto muttered. “Everything here is evidence. We’ll need to secure the scene. He needs to know - he needs to know exactly what they did to Akaashi. There’s no way he’ll let any of this fly under the radar now.”

“Yeah,” Kuroo said.

Everyone else was silent. It was all just too much. It was over, for now. It was over. They had Akaashi back, but he was still asleep.

It was over, but there was no way in hell it was over, because Daishou and his other bastards were still out there.

Later. They’d get him later. For now, the most important thing was the man in his arms.

But not just him. 

Also the man walking beside him, all busted up inside so that the edges were showing. It wasn’t the same as the man he knew Kuroo really was. And then there was the man standing at the end of the ramp, silently waiting for them, blond hair messy with eyes that looked as exhausted and determined as Bokuto felt.

They should be strangers, but they weren’t. They were home. A new home, a home that was broken right now, but home nonetheless. That home needed to be fixed and put aright.

Bokuto followed Kenma to medbay and carefully lay Akaashi down on one of the beds, stepping back as Oikawa fussed and set up all the equipment. Bokuto stripped out of his suit, laying the helmet to the side and allowing Oikawa to tend to the few minor wounds he’d sustained - the worst were some puncture wounds on his side, but none had penetrated deep enough to be serious. Kuroo brought him a chair so that he could sit on the other side of Akaashi, still holding his hand and waiting. Kenma sat on the bed behind him, holding Kuroo’s hand as the taller man leaned back, still standing. Together, they waited.

“Yaku’s watching things up top,” Kenma said.

Bokuto nodded. One was as good as the other. Kageyama was up there, he trusted him. Kunimi and Kindaichi and the rest had proven to be trustworthy. Tendou and Semi were unknown quantities, but he doubted they’d set the place on fire.

For now, they waited. Bokuto counted breaths and held Akaashi’s hand. Oikawa checked signals and made notations, hovering but trying not to be too obvious about it. In between breaths Bokuto catalogued the steps he’d need to take later, feeling strangely removed from caring.

But maybe it was because all his emotion was centered here on this man. 

Long eyelashes fluttered against too-pale cheeks, and Bokuto held his breath.

“Akaashi?” He whispered, leaning close.

Grey-green eyes slid open, moving around the room before focusing on his face. “Ah. Bokuto-san,” Akaashi whispered, voice raspy.

“Akaaaaashi,” Bokuto replied, leaning over to carefully hug his lover close.

Only then did he allow himself to cry.


	40. Aftermath

Akaashi woke to the glare of bright overhead lights.

For a moment he was afraid. 

He could feel something wrapped around one of his arms and he flexed, almost panicking at the pain, fearing that the last few bleary moments in his memory of seeing Bokuto were just a dream. He expected to see Daishou or one of his people again, ready to push the game one step farther.

The face that met his eyes as he looked around the room wasn’t Daishou’s, however.

Kuroo leaned over him, smiling wearily. “Ah, you’re awake again,” he murmured. “Bokuto will want to know. He had to go take care of a few things with Kenma, but he’ll be back right away now, ok?”

Akaashi reached out with his free arm and held tight to Kuroo’s wrist. It grounded him. He was really here. Kuroo was really real. Bokuto had been real, he was back. Kenma too. 

He was free.

Akaashi drew in a shaky breath and then looked down at his other arm, staring at the straps around his wrist and upper arm and the tube sticking out of it. There was a strip of flesh in the center of his inner arm that was covered in an off-color sealant.

The cut.

That was why it had hurt earlier.

Carefully, slowly he flexed the fingers of that hand, noting that there was dull pain. His motion didn’t seem to be impaired, though. 

The cut hadn’t gone that deep.

The bindings felt wrong, off. He hated them suddenly. Letting go of Kuroo he reached for the buckle, feeling the other man try to hold him back. 

“Hey, hey,” Kuroo murmured. “Those are just there so you don’t disturb the IV - you were moving in your sleep -”

“Off,” Akaashi muttered. They needed to come off.

Giving up Kuroo reached over and helped him, fingers running over Akaashi’s arm once it was free. “There there,” he said. “Sorry. We just -”

Akaashi nodded, cradling his arm to his chest and running his fingers over the sealant. He felt cold.

“Thank you,” Akaashi finally said. “How - how bad is it?”

“What?” Kuroo asked.

“Did he - am I - how bad?”

Gently Kuroo rubbed Akaashi’s shoulder. “You’ll be fine,” he murmured. “The worst thing physically wrong with you was blood loss. The cut was shallow, just deep enough to cause a slow bleed. It didn’t nick anything vital, though. Oikawa glued it back together and put the sealant over it. If you’re lucky, you won’t even have a scar.”

“Good,” Akaashi muttered, leaning into Kuroo’s touch. Glancing up he felt utterly grateful that he was there. He had so many things he wanted to say to Kuroo. The time with Nohebi had given him a lot of time to think.

All of his thoughts were eclipsed, however, when Bokuto ran through the door of the medbay.

“Akaashi!” Bokuto said, rushing over and pausing with fluttering hands next to Akaashi’s bed. 

It made him smile. “I’m here, Bokuto-san,” he said.

“I don’t want to hurt you - I didn’t mean to make you pass out earlier - I just -”

Looking down, Akaashi felt heart warm. “I’m sure I was just tired. I’m very glad to be with you now. All of you,” he said, peering around Bokuto to see Kenma hovering in the doorway.

Kenma gave a little nod, shooting a significant glance at Kuroo, who swallowed.

“Your IV can probably come out now, Akaashi, if you want,” Kuroo said. “Or we can run another bag, if you’re still feeling weak or dizzy.”

Akaashi frowned, reaching up to clasp Bokuto’s hand and pull himself into a sitting position. He felt a little woozy, but not enough that he wanted to stay hooked up to anything.

“No,” Akaashi said. “Please remove it.”

Kuroo nodded, reaching over and carefully sliding the needle out of Akaashi’s arm, patching the skin. “There. Good as new.”

Flexing his arm Akaashi nodded, then reached up to caress Bokuto’s cheek. 

“Akaashi,” Bokuto murmured, hands curling gently around his shoulders like he’d break at any moment.

Who knew. Perhaps he would. Akaashi was feeling particularly fragile.

“Can I go to my quarters, do you think? I - I don’t want to be here right now.”

He wanted to be with Bokuto.

He wouldn’t turn away Kenma or Kuroo too, but if he was honest with himself, it was Bokuto he wanted right now. He needed his home.

“Of course,” Kuroo said. “Do you need help?”

“I can carry you, Akaashi,” Bokuto said.

It made him flush. A part of him wanted to protest immediately. Had Bokuto carried him in here? So embarrassing. Bad enough that he had to be rescued like that.

Still, he felt weak enough that it was tempting. 

But no. He’d retain his dignity a little while longer, or try to. Once inside the privacy of their bedroom he could let himself be pampered, but not before then. “I’d like to try to walk,” he said.

In the end, that was basically what he did, though Bokuto supported him most of the way. Kuroo followed along, hovering every time Akaashi threatened to fall. Kenma was there was well, quiet and watchful. 

The two of them left as soon as Akaashi crossed the entrance to his bedroom though, leaving him alone with Bokuto.

“Akaashi,” Bokuto murmured, wrapping him in a hug that was far too gentle, far too delicate. Kisses rained down on Akaashi’s neck and shoulder. They were soft, hesitant, cherishing. Akaashi wanted to cry.

He clung to Bokuto and leaned against him, letting himself tremble and knowing Bokuto wouldn’t let him fall.

“What do you want, Akaashi? A food, sleep, bath? Anything. We can watch a show, we can cuddle, I can give you a massage, anything you want.”

“A bath,” Akaashi said instantly. “Shower first, then bath.”

His skin itched suddenly, almost as if he still carried the touch of those awful men. He hated the fact that he’d been completely in their power. “And burn these clothes.”

Bokuto kissed his forehead. “Whatever you want.”

Akaashi shivered as his lover’s fingers carefully stripped off his shirt and pants, not stopping until he was completely naked. The clothes were thrown into a corner of the bedroom. He didn’t want to see any of them again. The only thing he’d keep would be the necklace he almost always wore, a thin silver chain with a small owl pendant. 

Bokuto removed the necklace, placing it in their bedside drawer next to Bokuto’s matching pendant. Then he undressed as well, swift and efficient.

Akaashi let himself be led into the bathroom and sat on the small bench in the shower, waiting silently as Bokuto started it up.There were words in him, he knew. Most of the ones that bubbled to the surface were basic. I love you. I missed you. I was scared. Thank you for saving me. All these things Bokuto knew. Most of them he’d echo. It was easier just to sit and wait for the touches that spoke of truths far deeper than those words.

Humming Bokuto let the warm water run down over Akaashi’s back and hair. “Which one?” he asked.

Akaashi motioned to one of the shampoos, hearing Bokuto slot the showerhead in one of the holders before picking up the bottle and squirting some of the creamy liquid into his palm. Then Akaashi let his eyes close.

One of Akaashi’s most secret indulgences was having his hair washed by Bokuto. The other man’s hands were strong, big. Akaashi knew what he’d done, what he was capable of doing with those hands. His fingers had pulled triggers and wielded knives. They’d signed documents that led to people serving life sentences or worse. They were rough hands, calloused hands, hands that were sometimes clumsy and knocked over the sugar bowl in expensive restaurants. 

Akaashi loved Bokuto's hands.

He let out a deep sigh as Bokuto massaged his scalp, letting his fingers linger on certain spots. Bokuto carefully tilted Akaashi’s head forward, hand curling around to rub at the back of Akaashi’s neck. 

“I love you,” Akaashi said.

Bokuto made a pleased noise, tilting Akaashi’s head back. When Akaashi opened his eyes he saw the world in Bokuto’s gaze, all the love and hope and thankfulness he could ever hope for. It made his breath catch. The sheer intensity of Bokuto’s love often did that though. He didn’t need the words, even though he knew his lover would give them in abundance later.

For now, all he said was “Close your eyes, I’m going to rinse it out.”

Akaashi nodded, letting a deep sigh escape him as the water washed over him. Bokuto’s fingers ran through his hair, making sure all the suds were gone.

“Thank you, Bokuto-san.”

Bokuto made another small pleased sound then let the water spray over the rest of Akaashi’s body. It was good. Cleansing. Not too hot, not too cold. Not that it would’ve mattered either way. He was with Bokuto. He was safe.

Akaashi kept his eyes closed as Bokuto chose his favorite body wash, lathering it up and spreading the bubbles over his skin. These hands, Bokutos hands, how he loved them. They worked out every kink. Rubbed gently at the places on his arms and legs where the bindings had worn at his skin. He avoided the cut and its patch, of course, but Akaashi didn’t mind. He just lifted his arms as needed, reveling in the feeling of being remade by those hands and the sweet-smelling soap.

“I love you,” Akaashi said again when Bokuto knelt between his legs. 

He opened his eyes and looked down at the other man, black and grey hair gone flat with the water that covered them both. With his good hand Akaashi pushed that hair out of Bokuto’s face, leaning forward to kiss his lover’s forehead. 

“I couldn’t live without you,” Bokuto murmured finally, arms loosely circling Akaashi’s waist. 

It made Akaashi’s heart clinch. A part of him hated to be so integral a part of anyone, especially Bokuto. 

But he felt the exact same way.

“You don’t have to,” he murmured, leaning forward again to press his lips against Bokuto’s own.

It was a gentle kiss, a grounding kiss. Akaashi didn’t have the strength for anything more. Bokuto knew though, hugged him close, let Akaashi fall slowly off of the bench and into his lap. Akaashi rested there, head on Bokuto’s shoulder, feeling his big hands rub up and down Akaashi’s back as the water rained down on them from above.

After a while Bokuto said, “Do you still want a bath?”

Akaashi chuckled, glancing at his pruned fingertips. “Maybe not,” he murmured. “Maybe later.”

“Yeah,” Bokuto muttered, making no move to get up. “Later is good.”

For now though, Akaashi was happy to be here, held safe and sound in his lover’s arms.

~~~~~~~

Kenma didn’t look back at Kuroo after they left Bokuto and Akaashi. He just walked along the hallway. Kuroo followed him anyway. 

He felt pathetic, and vaguely lost. He hadn’t felt this much like a stray cat in years. He remembered that feeling, the feeling of being alone, the feeling of ‘before Kenma.’ He hated that feeling. This was Kenma. This was His Kenma. He wanted to reach out and hold him, touch him, talk to him, but there was a distance between them far wider than the few feet that separated them physically.

When Kenma stopped at their bedroom door and went in, Kuroo wasn’t sure if he was thankful or terrified.

Probably a bit of both.

Kenma walked over to a chair in the corner, curling up and looking at Kuroo for the first time in what felt like forever.

Those golden eyes saw everything and gave away nothing. 

Kuroo tried to remind himself that Kenma had talked to him since he’d come back, since Daishou had said those awful things where Kenma could hear them. He’d held his hand, leaned against him as they waited for Akaashi to wake up.

Kenma didn’t hate him.

But there was a tiny mutinous voice inside Kuroo that said that he should.

“Sit,” Kenma said, motioning to the edge of the bed.

Kuroo sat.

“Talk.”

Kuroo swallowed.

He looked down at his hands, not wanting to meet Kenma’s eyes now. He wished - he wished he could take it all back, rewind everything to that moment when he’d first seen Daishou in the bar, choose to look away. He’d wished that so many times. 

He couldn’t change the past, though.

Not when the consequences of that past were all around him.

Kenma was waiting patiently. He was always patient. Well, not always, but when he wanted something -

And now, he wanted Kuroo to talk.

Ducking his head, Kuroo began. “I met him - I met him at a bar,” he said. “Back on - well, you know. There were so many different factions on that planet, all fighting over scraps of land, trying to acquire the resources from everyone else, not caring a thing about the locals.”

It had been an unclaimed planet, one settled by people cut off from civilization who had quickly fallen into their own strange customs. When businesses and nations came calling they didn’t have the resources to fight them off. Both Kingdomtide and the Confederation had tried claiming the planet, but it had become quickly obvious that neither claim held legal ascendancy and neither empire was willing to go to war over one small planet.

It was easier to let the planet be carved up by individual interests.

“Daishou - I thought he was just another mercenary,” Kuroo continued. “You were scheduled to be away for a few months, and we were all mired in politics, with the employers using us as chips in their negotiations. Showing their strength. It was so rare that we actually went out to fight, those months. Most of the time we just sat around drinking and talking together.”

It was nothing, stupid. Everyone knew that the next day they might be facing each other on the other side of a gun, but it was nothing personal. It was just a job. Not much different than how things had been when they’d worked directly for Kingdomtide. Mercenary life was mercenary life, whether you were working for money or working as a way to pay off your planet’s tribute to their empire.

“At first,” Kuroo said, “He was just another way to pass the time. Amusing, intelligent. I never meant to keep it from you. I’ve never - I never have, before or since. I promise.”

He looked up at Kenma then, feeling the guilt curdle in his stomach. Kenma’s face gave away nothing. Kuroo’s breath quickened at that, with the need to suddenly know that Kenma believed him. He had to believe him. He had to know he was telling the truth.

Kuroo wanted to say that he would never lie to him.

Except he had. Even if it was only a lie of omission.

The consequences of that omission were written on Akaashi’s body.

Shame crept over Kuroo and he looked down again, still seeing the way blood had covered them earlier. The beast’s blood, not Akaashi’s, but it all came from the same source.

“Continue,” Kenma said in that same even voice.

“We got more deeply involved. Not like - I mean, it was still a fling, to me. It was just easier to spend a day with him, playing games and talking, than it was to hang out with some of the other guys. Especially after a few operations when we knew we’d faced each other in combat. Daishou’s group was never involved. That made it easier, somehow.”

Kenma shifted in his seat. “Did you talk about me?” he asked.

Kuroo nodded, feeling very small. “I mean, I had to tell him, you know. About us, about our relationship. It’s always important for people to know, so they don’t get the wrong idea.”

“You told him that sometimes we’re both involved?”

“He asked,” Kuroo whispered. “He was curious. Started asking more and more questions.”

“And so you let him know details. Details about us. About me.”

Curling in on himself Kuroo nodded again. “Eventually. It was just little things at first. What you were like. Why I cared about you so much. I like talking about you, you know, and he liked listening - wasn’t jealous or possessive like what sometimes happens.”

“Not then,” Kenma muttered, and Kuroo flinched.

Silence stretched between them and Kuroo felt it like it was a physical thing. He was such a failure, as a best friend, as a lover, as everything. Foolish. He was foolish.

“He called me,” Kenma finally said.

“What?”

“While you were fighting the beast. He used Akaashi’s phone and called me. Talked to me.”

“Kenma!” Kuroo said, brow furrowing as he looked at him. 

Kenma shrugged. “He said you let him do anything and everything to you.”

Kuroo swallowed, glancing away. “I did,” he finally whispered. “I mean. Not everything everything, of course. And nothing like we did in - it was just him, no one else. And we were always safe.”

“Safe,” Kenma echoed, voice almost mocking.

Kuroo flinched at that. 

“Not safe enough,” he said. “You’re right. It was nowhere near safe.”

Kenma shifted again. “And that last night?”

“You were coming back,” Kuroo said. “I was so excited, and he knew it. We were drinking. I got drunk. Then the things we did - if I’d thought about it, I never would’ve done them after drinking. But it seemed like a good idea at the time. He never seemed angry at all. He was encouraging, even. I don’t even remember everything that happened. At some point, I think I blacked out. When I woke up, it was like nothing was wrong. We ate breakfast and he sent me on my way.”

“But at some point that night,” Kenma said, “he’d hacked your phone.”

Kuroo nodded.

Sighing, Kenma shifted again. Kuroo watched him nervously. 

Eventually, Kenma said, “I can’t do things like this anymore. Things need to change.”

The words were like a spear of ice in Kuroo’s gut. He wanted to protest, wanted to ask what Kenma meant, but it was clear he wasn’t done talking.

“I’ve always thought,” Kenma continued, “that cheating was something I’d never have to worry about. Not only did I think you would never cheat on me, I thought that the very idea of cheating was outside the boundaries of our relationship. I’ve never really cared before what you did or who you did it with. I always assumed that you’d tell me about everything.”

“I did -”

Kenma held up a hand, interrupting Kuroo before he picked right back up again. “This thing, with Daishou - you know, to be honest, I always figured you’d slept with him. It just seemed obvious. I should’ve asked you. I thought, on some level, that you knew I knew, that we just weren’t talking about it. One of the things that bothers me is that you thought you’d kept it from me. It bothers me that you thought you needed to keep it from me.”

“I’m sorry,” Kuroo said softly.

“And I know it’s not against what we’d agreed upon, but it really makes me sick to know that he knows details about me. Things about what I like when I’m naked, things about you, things we’ve done together. When he called me up, the things he said - fuck, Kuroo. He knows -”

Kenma pulled his legs to his chest and shivered, and Kuroo felt awful. He didn’t have the words to say to apologise to Kenma. He couldn’t take any of it away.

“It feels like a violation,” Kenma finally said. “I know it’s his fault - I know you trusted him, or you wouldn’t’ve shared things with him, but it still feels so fucking awful.”

“I’m sorry,” Kuroo repeated, feeling the utter inadequacy of the simple phrase.

“I can’t - I can’t do this anymore. I can’t do that. I know you like having your freedom, that’s never been a problem to me before, but - I can’t. I just can’t.”

“It’s ok,” Kuroo said. “It’s ok.”

None of it meant anything without Kenma. All of it. He’d give up all of it for him, for this man whose fingers were curled too tightly into the skin of his legs. All of it -

Akaashi.

Bokuto.

The names tugged at him, breaking the truth of the absolute he wanted to swear to with his mouth. He couldn’t say it, but he didn’t know if that was what Kenma would require.

He knew he’d probably swear anything just to keep Kenma by his side, to make him happy, but -

“Please,” Kuroo said. 

The look Kenma shot him was angry and betrayed.

“Please,” Kuroo repeated, reaching his hands out towards him. “Please, just can we talk. I need to know. What do you mean? Are you - are you leaving me?”

Even the possibility tore him apart. There was no Kuroo without Kenma. He would be nothing.

Kenma looked incredulously at him. “What?”

Kuroo stopped, feeling like the world was standing still in just that moment. “Are you leaving me,” he repeated, watching Kenma’s face.

It looked like he might start to cry. Kenma looked down, more lost than Kuroo had seen him in years. “No,” he whispered in a broken voice. “No, not unless -”

“Nothing’s more important to me than you,” Kuroo said.

Kenma nodded, looking up and to the side, eyes shining. “Same,” he whispered.

Kuroo’s heart started beating again. He wanted to go over to Kenma, hold him, kiss away the tears that threatened to spill from the corners of his eyes. They were still talking though. They had to talk.

“What do you want then, Kenma? What needs to change?”

Kenma looked to the side. “No more strangers. No more flings. No more casual sex. No more spilling our secrets into other people’s ears.”

Nodding, Kuroo knew he’d say yes to all of it. His heart ached, though. He was greedy, so greedy. He could give everyone else up, didn’t really care, had been talking with Akaashi about doing just that when the others got back, but -

“What about Akaashi and Bo?” Kuroo asked, hating the question even as he asked it. If Kenma really wanted it to be just them, it would be wrong to pressure him for more. But he couldn’t help saying the words.

Kenma frowned, playing with the hem of his pants and not looking up. “They aren’t strangers though,” he said finally.

Watching him Kuroo barely dared hope. It seemed impossible that after all he’d done, he might be able to have exactly what he wanted. “If it was just the four of us,” Kuroo said softly, “just the four of us, and no one else, would that be ok?”

Kenma thought about it for a moment, pursing his lips. Kuroo couldn’t read his face. He didn’t know the thoughts that flit behind those golden eyes, the objections Kenma was raising and considering within himself. All he knew was the final verdict.

“Yes,” Kenma said finally, looking up at Kuroo. “Yes, but just the four of us. No one else. No one new. No one - not even Yaku, or, well, you know.”

“No quiet boy whispering into your ear?” Kuroo said, watching vague irritation cross Kenma’s face. He hated to be teased about that. “Yaku is pretty taken anyways.”

“Finally,” Kenma said, probably happy for the slight change of subject. He looked thoughtful then, considering as he looked up at Kuroo. “I’m still upset.”

Kuroo nodded. He still felt guilty.

“There will still be consequences.”

That made him shiver, worry mixing with the guilt. But he nodded. They were entering more known territory now. His worry wasn’t overwhelming. Whatever happened, they were still together. Just like Kenma had promised. He loved him, and he was still his.

“Do you know what they are?” Kuroo asked.

“I haven’t decided yet. I want you to think about it.”

Kuroo nodded, then glanced up when Kenma made a small noise. “What?”

“Maybe we should ask Bokuto and Akaashi for input.”

There was something testing in Kenma’s gaze at that, an inquiry. Kuroo thought it over. Yes he wanted a relationship with Bokuto and Akaashi, but to let them see him that vulnerable from the start -

“I’ll have to think about it,” Kuroo whispered. “If that’s ok.”

Kenma nodded, looking vulnerable again suddenly.

“Kenma,” Kuroo said.

“Hmm?”

“Can I - can I hold you? Please?” Kuroo asked. He ached, wanted to know that this wasn’t just words, that they would actually be ok. He knew they weren’t ok now, but he wanted to know that Kenma would still touch him. Wanted to feel that he wouldn’t reject him. He needed to feel the other half of his heart.

Kenma watched him a moment. Giving a deep sigh he uncurled himself from the chair and walked over in front of Kuroo, looking down.

Still, he hadn’t given permission, so Kuroo just waited, looking up at him.

Finally Kenma reached out and pushed at Kuroo’s shoulder. “Lie back,” he said. “Scoot back on the bed.”

Kuroo did just that, moving back as he watched Kenma crawl onto the bed next to him, finding space. Kuroo felt the pillows hit the back of his head and stopped, lying on his back and watching his most important person. “Kenma,” he murmured. “I love you.”

Kenma gave a long, deep sigh, and then said “I love you too,” before lying down beside him, curling around Kuroo with his head resting above his heartbeat.

Carefully, ever so gently Kuroo held him. Kenma didn’t pull away, His fingers slid over Kuroo’s ribcage, pulling him closer.

This was real. This was true. Kenma hadn’t left him. Kenma loved him.

He still felt broken. He still felt guilty.

But maybe, just maybe, things would be ok again someday.


	41. Getting back to business

Kuroo’s breathing slowed. Kenma felt the telltale jerks of his fingers that signaled that his lover was dozing off.

“Are you sleeping on me?” Kenma murmured, voice soft as his fingers traced over the other’s side.

Grunting, Kuroo shook his head. “No,” he muttered.

“You were.”

“Was not.”

“Were,” Kenma replied, lips curling.

Kuroo sighed. “I don’t want to,” he said, hugging Kenma closer. “I’d rather just stay awake forever with you here in my arms.”

“Psh. Romantic.”

Kenma wasn’t really annoyed though. It felt like forever since they’d had a moment like this. He slid his hand over to Kuroo’s arm, running his fingers down to intertwine them with the other man’s hand. Kuroo squeezed.

“I wish you’d told me,” Kenma finally said.

Kuroo squeezed his hand again, and hugged im tight. 

It hurt, having it all out in the open. There were elements he hadn’t suspected. None of it changed who Kuroo was, though. Every action aligned perfectly with the Kuroo he knew and loved.

“I should’ve,” Kuroo said, quiet guilt lacing his words.

“Why didn’t you?”

Sighing, Kuroo said, “You know why.”

This was true. It was easy for him to predict, especially after learning about the dirty little details. Still, Kuroo needed to say it. Kenma wanted to hear it, even if just to know that he was right. To know that there weren’t any curveballs.

The silence stretched out until Kuroo took in a deep breath, moving his hand to run fingers through Kenma’s hair in a soothing fashion. “I was ashamed,” he finally said. “At first, on the right back, before I knew - it hit me how much I’d actually revealed to him. I liked him, Kenma. That was how stupid I was. I really thought he might be someone you would like too. He’s smart, and he was - I could just see you two getting along.”

Huffing, Kenma said, “Maybe if he was just an asshole, and not a sadistic psychopath.”

“Yeah,” Kuroo murmured. “Well, at the time -”

“At the time you trusted him.”

Kuroo pondered this a moment, fingers massaging the back of Kenma’s neck. “I didn’t trust trust him, I mean - but when it came to just interpersonal stuff, well. I thought he liked me too.”

“I think he did,” Kenma said.

“What?”

“One of the things he told me, on the phone call - he said you were planning to leave Nekoma join him.”

“Eh? I would never -”

“I know,” Kenma replied. “But what if he wanted you to? Wanted us to? If he liked you... and well. Nohebi doesn’t have any Alephians, as far as I’m aware. If he could’ve netted us, then who knows. Maybe the whole plot was to try and drive you away from Nekoma so that you’d come running to him.”

“It’s a stretch,” Kuroo said. “If you’re right, huh. And instead of running back into his arms I destroyed his retirement plan.”

“What?”

“You remember that job I asked your help with? Right after we left, after we jumped the system?”

“Vaguely. As I recall, I was a bit busy making sure that no one could find us.”

“Thank you for that,” Kuroo said, kissing the top of his head. 

Kenma nodded, snuggling closer and listening to the steady thump of Kuroo’s heart.

“Well,” Kuroo continued, “Daishou had it all set up to marry the daughter of the man he was working for, some guy who’d set himself up as a planetary ruler. I pulled some strings with a few contacts who managed to topple his whole business structure. Natives took over everything, got the support of the Confederation to enact self-governance, the whole bit. Of course the guy went bankrupt. Nohebi was out of a job, Daishou out of a marriage, the whole bit.”

“Wow. Nothing says I love you like a planetary coup.”

“I was going more for I hate your guts and hope you die, but I was in a rush.”

Kenma chuckled. “I really want to get my hands on him.

Kuroo stiffened. “Kenma - please -”

Frowning, Kenma pushed up and looked down at him. “Kuroo,” he said, “Do you really think he’s more frightening than I am?”

He could see the way Kuroo was holding himself back. He knew what Kuroo wanted to say, what he wanted to beg. Daishou was Kuroo’s boogeyman. Not that there wasn’t reason for the fear, but they’d spent too long running away from him.

Kenma wasn’t afraid. He was just cooly, calmly furious.

Leaning down he kissed Kuroo. He could feel the tremble in his lips. He hated that Kuroo was scared. If he could, Kenma would’ve sucked all the fear out of him and spit it out, leaving nothing behind but everything that was true to who Kuroo really was. Not just fear, but self-loathing, doubt, worry - all the things Kenma had been too blind to see because he’d spent far too much time wallowing in his own darkness.

That had to change too.

“I love you,” Kenma said, kissing him again. 

Kuroo took a shaky breath, fingertips tracing over Kenma’s cheek.

At least they’d conquered one fear today. Kuroo had told the truth, and Kenma had proved it wouldn’t destroy them. That was an important step.

A faint beeping caught Kenma’s attention, and he reached over to answer his phone. “Hello?” he said.

“DId I wake you up?” Bokuto asked. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“No, I wasn’t asleep,” Kenma said, mouthing Bokuto’s name to Kuroo before saying, “What did you need?

“Ah. I don’t want to disturb you, but, well. Yukie wants to talk to me again. Akaashi’s asleep. I mean, it’s probably fine, but -”

“It would be better if one of us was with him,” Kenma said, looking down at Kuroo. “Give me a minute.”

Pushing up from the bed he went over to the mirror, making sure everything was in place.

“I can go if you’d rather stay here,” Kuroo said, walking up behind him. “Or we could both go -”

“No,” Kenma said, pursing his lips to try and keep irritation from his voice. It didn’t quite work Glancing up into the mirror he saw the other man flinch at his reply, Worry wasn’t a good look on Kuroo. 

It was just another sign that things were better, but not right. 

That would take time.

“You should go spend time with Bokuto,” Kenma said by way of apology. “One of us should, at least; back him up. We’re a team.”

“You’re right,” Kuroo said. He reached out and smoothed Kenma’s hair in the back. Kenma let him. It felt more needy than affectionate, but Kenma would allow it. Things were just off-kilter. Things would be fixed soon.

If they hadn’t been interrupted - 

But this was good. Kenma wanted to see Akaashi. 

He felt a seed of possibility warm in his heart, and thought about the idea of having a real relationship with Bokuto and Akaashi. It was different from anything they’d ever done. Maybe that was a very good thing.

What if Bokuto and Akaashi had been with them when Kuroo met Daishou -

Well. Bokuto probably would’ve been with Kuroo, and Kuroo never would’ve been drawn into the psychopath’s web of seduction and intrigue. What ifs couldn’t do a thing to change the past. Nothing could. They could do better in the future, though.

“Go,” Kenma said, pushing him toward the door. He let Kuroo pull him into another kiss, felt like the hands held his shoulders just a bit too long. It was ok though. They would be ok.

This was just another problem to sort out. It wasn’t the first. It probably wouldn’t be the last, especially if they were adding two more people into their mix. But they could handle problems, because no problem would change the outcome of the two of them together.

They walked down the hall to Bokuto’s room. Kenma allowed himself to be pulled into a hug by Bokuto and then went to go sit on the bed, only half listening to the conversation between the other two. It sounded good. Bokuto brought out the best in Kuroo. 

It made Kenma smile, and he curled up in the space next to Akaashi, watching the other as Bokuto and Kuroo left, marveling at the length of Akaashi’s eyelashes on his pale skin.

Soon enough they were gone. 

“I know you’re awake,” Kenma murmured.

Eyelashes fluttered and moved, revealing grey-green eyes. “What gave it away?” Akaashi said.

“Nothing major,” said Kenma. “You’re too tense. Tightened up before I lay down. Breathing isn’t quite even.”

Akaashi’s lips pursed, and he rolled over onto his back. “I was trying to sleep,” he admitted grudgingly.

“You should sleep.”

“I know,” Akaashi said, turning to look at him.

What Kenma saw in those eyes made his heart ache. “But?”

Akaashi was silent, just watching him for the longest time.

Kenma waited. Kenma was good at waiting.

Finally, Akaashi said, “I’m scared.”

It hurt. It made Kenma even more angry at Daishou and his ilk. Still, he waited, just watching Akaashi’s face until he continued.

“I feel like I was sleeping all the time with them, until they woke me up. Not real sleep, most of the time. Drugs. The reaction to the venom. Every time I woke up they were there. Daishou -”

Kenma nodded. “I’ve talked to him,” he said. “He called me on your phone, when the others were rescuing you.”

“I really, really dislike that man,” Akaashi said, hesitating a moment. “I’m just scared that if I go to sleep, I’ll wake up again and they’ll be there. I know it’s not rational.”

“But fear isn’t rational,” Kenma said, finishing the thought. 

Akaashi nodded, looking up at the ceiling. “As much as I know I should sleep, every time I lose my eyes, every time I get close, that fear pops up and puts me on alert.”

“Ah,” Kenma said, frowning. He searched his mind for an answer to this problem. Feeling awkward with the answer he came up with, he asked, “Do you think it would be better if I held you? Or like, rubbed your back or something. I could even hm if you wanted, I guess, though I don't know very many lullabies.”

He looked down. This type of thing wasn’t his forte. Physical contact with most people was a bit jarring, especially when he was already on edge.

Akaashi was quiet though. He cared deeply about Akaashi. Plus, he had some vague notion that this was the time of thing one did in a relationship - take care of one’s lover, even if the effectiveness of such care wasn’t exactly guaranteed.

He felt Akaashi turn to look at him again, and waited for his response.

It came in the form of a delicate hand reaching out and smoothing back Kenma’s hair, fingertips lingering on his cheek.

Kenma looked up into those grey-green eyes. He saw weariness there, bone-deep weariness, and also affection.

“I think,” Akaashi said softly, “that I would like that.”

Kenma nodded. He turned to nuzzle the hand and then stopped at the look of pain on Akaashi’s face.

“I’m sorry, I -”

“No, no,” Akaashi said, pressing his hand over Kenma’s mouth. “No. I’m sorry. I just. I missed you. I missed you while you were gone, and I thought about you a lot while they had me.”

“You did?”

Akaashi nodded. “He talked about you some. Well, you and Kuroo. He’s obsessed about Kuroo.”

Kenma nodded. It confirmed what he’d already thought.

“For a while there,” Akaashi said, “I wasn’t sure if I’d ever see you again.”

“Well, I’m here now,” Kenma said, reaching out to mirror Akaashi’s touch, fingers lingering in the other’s curly dark hair before sliding down to his shoulder. “I’m here, and you’re safe. We’re all together.”

Akaashi nodded, allowing Kenma to pull him closer, long arms wrapping around Kenma’s chest as he lay his head down.

“He’s still out there though,” Akaashi murmured. “And Kuroo, he looks so - I don’t even know.”

Kenma hummed in reply, gently rubbing Akaashi’s back. “I talked to Kuroo,” he finally said. “It’s complicated.”

“Tell me,” Akaashi said.

Although Kenma was hesitant, he figured that Akaashi deserved some of the details. He edited out some things as he told Akaashi about their past. Occasionally Akaashi prompted him with a question, but he didn’t push too hard.

For that, Kenma was grateful.

“Oh, Kuroo,” Akaashi finally said, hugging Kenma close.

“Yeah,” Kenma replied. “We decided to make some changes. I really don’t want anything like that to happen again.”

Akaashi tensed up. “Changes?” 

Pursing his lips Kenma thought about how much to say. In the end, he decided it was probably something that should be shared with all of them. “Yeah,” he said, rubbing at the muscles of Akaashi’s back.. “It’s nothing to worry about. I’ll tell you in more detail later, ok?”

“Alright,” Akaashi replied. 

It occurred to Kenma that his desire for a relationship with Bokuto and Akaashi wasn’t a foregone conclusion. They might say no. They might want to keep what they’d had before, maybe have something casual. He was worried again, felt the weight of all the unknowns trying to crowd in on him. 

It was weird. He didn’t like these type of unknowns. He didn’t like wanting to be with someone but not being sure that they wanted him the same way.

Being with Kuroo had spoiled him.

This, he realized, was probably what people faced all the time. He didn’t know how they could stand it. It was bad enough knowing he might lose Kuroo on a mission. To not even know if he wanted him was almost unthinkable.

Akaashi hugged him tighter and Kenma tried to relax, indulging himself long enough to nuzzle the other man’s hair. “You should sleep,” he whispered.

Shoulders shaking a bit, Akaashi nodded. “You should too, probably.”

“I will, probably,” Kenma said. “But you first.”

Akaashi sighed a deep sigh, but he nodded, “I will.”

He tried. Kenma helped as much as he could, tracing patterns on Akaashi’s back and humming soft snippets of half-forgotten songs that had probably never been lullabies. Somehow that didn’t seem to matter though, because a few minutes later he felt Akaashi fully relax, breathing deeply, hand stilling on Kenma’s skin.

Success.

There were too many unknowns, and too many worries. Too many ways things could go wrong. For now, though, he’d take the victories, even when they were smile.

Smiling to himself Kenma yawned and let himself drift off to sleep.

~~  
“Akaashi alright?” Kuroo asked.

“Yeah, yeah. I mean, he’s shaken up, but who wouldn’t be, you know? But he’s safe now. He’ll be fine,” Bokuto replied, watching the floor as they walked down the hall. Idly he avoided the seams, stepping over them whenever he could.

“I’m glad.”

“How about Kenma? You two seemed a little, uh, strained. Get everything worked out?”

It wasn’t the most delicate of questions, Bokuto knew, but he was worried about the two of them. This thing with Daishou had shifted everything from being just a case to being personal. 

“Well, a lot of things,” Kuroo said, looking thoughtful. “We talked a lot. Things I should’ve told him ages ago. Made some decisions, talked about changes.”

Bokuto thought about this for a moment, wondering what type of changes they’d talked about. It wasn’t his business though. “I’m happy for you.” That was lame. He wasn’t sure what else to say.

Glancing at him Kuroo laughed, bumping their shoulders together. “I’m happy for you? Really?”

“Hey!” Bokuto said, huffing.

“Just kidding bro. Glad to know you care.”

Bokuto chuckled, glancing down. “Yeah, yeah,” he said. “I’m just a caring guy.”

“Well, fancy that. You’re caring, and I’m just the kindest guy you’ll ever meet.”

“Kindest? Well I guess. Too bad you’re not the most humble.”

Kuroo gasped, clutching his heart. “You wound me!” he said, staring at Bokuto.

It only lasted a moment, then they both cracked up, clutching each other’s shoulders for support.

Grinning, Bokuto tried to catch his breath. He couldn’t stop laughing. He knew none of it was very funny. It was all stupid. That didn’t matter, though. What mattered was being together, and seeing a genuine smile on Kuroo’s face.

Finally Kuroo shook his head, still grinning widely. “Thank you, by the way.”

“What?”

 

“For taking care of him.”

Bokuto thought about this for a moment, then shrugged. “Honestly, I’m not sure how much I did to actually take care of him. Kenma holds his own pretty well. Honestly, he’s a little bit of a bad ass.”

There was pride in Kuroo’s eyes at that, then he shrugged. “Yeah, but still. It meant a lot knowing you were there at his back.”

Nodding, Bokuto’s train of thought got sidetracked thinking about the moments when he’d actually held Kenma’s back. He smiled. “Did you know he sleeps in one of your shirts when you’re apart?”

A faint blush dusted Kuroo’s cheeks at that. “Really?” he said. “Fuck. Next time you’ve gotta take a picture.”

“Like this?” Bokuto asked, pulling out his phone and flipping over to a picture of a sleeping Kenma.

“Wow,” Kuroo said.

“I know, right?” Bokuto said. “He’s just so -”

“Adorable.”

“Yeah.”

They both stared at it a minute, then Bokuto shyly asked, “What does Akaashi sleep in when I’m gone? I mean, if you know.”

“Ah,” Kuroo said, looking to the side, “Nothing.”

Staring at him a moment Bokuto grinned. “Dude. Did you two - while we were gone?”

“Maybe. Ok, yeah, we did.”

“Ah! I’m so jealous. I was like this close with Kenma, but we got interrupted.”

“Oh hoh hoh?”

“Yeah. We cuddled a lot. He’s perfect for cuddling.”

“I know, right?” Kuroo said. “Especially when he’s half asleep. It’s like holding a kitten.”

The look on Kuroo’s face was just about as adorable as the picture of Kenma on Bokuto’s phone, but Bokuto wasn’t sure he wanted to tell him. It made him smile. Life sure had been throwing them a lot of curves lately, but even with all that, Bokuto felt lucky to know both of them. “I’m glad you guys got things worked out.”

“Hmm? Oh yeah,” Kuroo murmured, looking over at Bokuto. “Hey, ah. Random question. If you could only sleep with three people for the rest of your life -”

“Bokuto!” a woman’s voice said, distracting Bokuto from Kuroo’s question. The woman in question was standing in the hall in front of them, looking faintly agitated.

“Ah! Sorry Yukie! I told you I was on my way!”

“Finally,” she said, reaching out and dragging him toward the conference room. “Everyone’s almost assembled. You’re the one who needs to tell them what to do. You’re our lead on this.”

“I know, I know, I’m sorry,” he said, glancing back at Kuroo apologetically.

Kuroo just laughed, smirk splitting his face again. Bokuto made a face. This wasn’t funny.

Well ok. Maybe it was a little funny.

They got to the conference room and Bokuto felt the old familiar excitement that came from seeing the members of his team. “Hey hey hey!” he said, waving to everyone before getting down to business.

Kaori and Tsukishima had tracked down the people responsible. Both the Confederation and Fukurodani’s security center had confirmed the evidence, and warrants had been issued. Now all they needed to do was apprehend them.

Bokuto filled them in on all the details of the case. It went well, he thought, though Tendou seemed to be paying an inordinate amount of attention to Kuroo. A vague hint of jealousy rose in Bokuto’s mind but he quashed it.

They had things to attend to.

“Wish you were coming with us, Bokuto,” said Komi. “It’s always interesting when you’re around.”

His partner Konoha laughed, but Bokuto ignored the implication there. “Yeah! You guys can handle this though. We’ve had our hands full here.”

“We heard,” Washio said. “We’re very glad that Akaashi is alright.”

“Thanks,” Bokuto said. “Me too.”

It felt like old times, working together with them. He missed it. They’d had so much fun back in the day.

Too soon the meeting was over though, video over, people gone off to their own important tasks. Bokuto sat back, smiling at Kuroo. They still had to find Daishou, but other than that, everything was fine.

Tendou cleared his throat.

“Ah. Glad everything’s working out with the case,” he said.

“Thanks!” Bokuto said. Maybe he wasn’t such a bad guy after all.

Nodding, Tendou looked at Kuroo again, and Bokuto wondered if he should revise his previously revised opinion.

“Kuroo,” Tendou said, “Before you run off again, we really need to have a discussion.”

“What?” Kuroo said.

Tendou nodded, and looked over at some of the other occupants of the room. “Yaku-san should be there as well, considering it’s my understanding he’s authorized to act as a proxy for the Nekoma group.”

Yaku looked sharply at Tendou, and Bokuto felt like the temperature in the room just dropped ten degrees.

Something about the whole situation made Bokuto’s heart clench with worry. “Kuroo?” he asked, looking over at his teammate.

Kuroo looked ashen.

This could not be good.


	42. Truth and Consequences

“Why would you even do this?” Lev said. At least, Akaashi thought his name was Lev. Introductions had been rather quick.

“It’s our job,” the one Akaashi thought was called Semi answered, sounding a bit defensive. “Your people are the ones who put the warrant out in the first place. Why are you just ignoring it?”

“We aren’t just ignoring it! We’re here, aren’t we?”

“You haven’t been doing anything about it! You just let him go off - he’s had any number of times to escape -”

“But he hasn’t! Kuroo’s not like that! You’re supposed to be here to help!”

“We did help. Tendou led you to where you friend was being held, and figured out how to slow down the chimera so that they were able to beat it. That doesn’t mean we’re going to ignore an active warrant!”

“But he isn’t even guilty! Yaku, can’t you just annul the warrant or something?”

A new voice spoke up. “He can’t. Heir or not, he doesn’t have the authority. Kuroo was convicted in absentia, and that’s not something that can be randomly overturned, especially not for crimes of this magnitude.” Tendou said.

Akaashi frowned, looking at the warrant laid out on the screen in front of him. Treason. Willful acts that resulted in the death and injury of friendly combatants. Espionage. The list went on. 

“But I don’t understand,” Bokuto said from his seat next to Akaashi. “Aren’t Yaku and Lev alive? I mean -”

“Other people died,” Kenma said. He was seated next to Kuroo, holding hands with the other man. Kuroo’s head was bowed. He looked sick. He looked guilty.

He wasn’t guilty.

“Whatever they found,” Akaashi said, “the fact remains that Kuroo is not guilty. In fact, he’s as much Daishou’s victim as anyone else in this.”

“That’s true,” Tendou said, “But -”

Akaashi glanced over at him, as surprised by the other man’s words as Tendou himself. The fuchsia-haired man’s eyes flashed yellow as they looked at Akaashi, and he raised a hand to his lips, frowning.

Tendou stared at him a long moment, eyes widening a moment, then said, “Say that again.”

Akaashi blinked. “Kuroo is innocent. Kuroo is a victim here.”

The frown on Tendou’s face deepened, and he looked down at the warrant on his screen. 

Akaashi wasn’t sure what had happened, but it certainly wasn’t the effect he expected from the first words he’d spoken since they sat down at the table to meet.

When he’d heard about the conversation that Tendou wanted to have with Kuroo, Akaashi had made sure to rouse himself enough to attend. He still felt awful, of course, but the unease in Bokuto’s eyes when he came to tell them was enough to convince Akaashi he needed to be there. Kenma had shut down.

It hadn’t taken Akaashi long to put together the probable reason for the meeting. 

Shiratorizawa were bounty hunters. Kuroo and Kenma had fled because of accusations about Kuroo. Kenma of course would have hidden their tracks, but Tendou was good enough to get around all his efforts if he suspected there was something to be found.

The four of them had gone to the conference room. For once, the group around the table was small - only Yaku and Lev had joined them, other than Tendou and Semi. 

Tendou had given them the broad strokes about the warrant against Kuroo. Some arguing had erupted over that while Akaashi had scanned the information provided. Kenma and Yaku hadn’t challenged its veracity, though, so Akaashi had known it was serious. The argument between Lev and Semi had felt almost like the last hopeless words thrown against an insurmountable wall.

The law was the law, after all.

But the truth was the truth.

Tendou looked up and over at Semi. “I need you to step out,” he said, then glanced over at Bokuto. “You should go as well.”

“What?” Bokuto said. “No way. I’m staying here with my best bro. You can’t just -”

“Bokuto,” Kenma said, “I think you should do what he says.”

Kenma was watching Tendou very carefully, face almost preternaturally still. He knew something. Akaashi didn’t know what, but something.

If Bokuto and Semi left, the only people left would be Alephians.

Huffing a bit, Bokuto stood and followed Semi out of the room, giving one last mournful glance in their direction before closing the door.

“Care to explain?” Yaku said, turning to Tendou.

Tendou frowned, rubbing the side of his head. “Say he’s right, and Kuroo is innocent.”

“He is innocent!” Lev said. “I’ve been saying that for the past - ow.”

Yaku kicked him, then turned to Tendou. “He is right. Kuroo is innocent. Well, of the things listed here on the warrant. That’s why I haven’t killed him.”

“Yes, but you could have been deceived. You two were compatriots for years, and close friends by all outside accounts. You could be letting your personal feelings sway you.”

“I just spent months in the genetanks after losing a foot in the attack. Trust me. If he was guilty he’d be dead.”

“You say that, but your judgement is still fallible.”

Akaashi sighed, tired of listening to people argue. “He is innocent though,” he said. 

“Would you stop -” Tendou said, frowning and shaking his head. “Ah, sorry. That’s just so weird.”

“What?” Lev asked, brow furrowed in confusion as he looked between Tendou and Akaashi. Kenma was watching them too, lips pursed. 

Waving a hand, Tendou said, “Tell me again what happened.”

Kuroo sighed, and Kenma rubbed his back as he began to share the story again. He left out some of the personal details that Akaashi had heard from Kenma, but other than that it was all intact.

When he was finished, Tendou turned to Akaashi. “All of that is true.”

“Yes,” Akaashi said, mystified as to why his words had such an effect on Tendou.

Turning again, Tendou asked Kuroo, “Did you ever knowingly commit treason, or perform acts of espionage against Nekoma or Dikastis?”

“No, I did not,” Kuroo said, looking puzzled. Akaashi could hear the honesty in his voice. 

“Well?” Tendou said, looking at Akaashi again.

Akaashi raised an eyebrow in inquiry.

Huffing, Tendou said, “Is he telling the truth?”

Nodding, Akaashi frowned.

“No - ah, please - can you tell me?”

Feeling a bit bemused, Akaashi said, “He’s telling the truth. He didn’t commit treason, and he wasn’t a spy.”

Tendou frowned down at the screen in front of him. “And if all that’s true, then...”

Yaku tilted his head, looking at Akaashi. “Alright, I have to admit, I’m a little curious about what’s going on.”

“It’s complicated,” Tendou said. “I mean, I have to do some research. I could be wrong.”

“You mean about the warrant?” Lev asked.

“No, not about the warrant,” Tendou said. “Well. Not about the fact that it exists. Even if Akaashi is right, that doesn’t change the conviction. I should still take you back to our ship for transport to Aleph. It’s just...”

Akaashi stared at him a moment. “You believe me.”

“Yes,” Tendou said, then looked up. “Would you not - man, you must be hell to be in a relationship with.”

“What?” Kuroo asked, glancing at Akaashi protectively. 

Akaashi, for one, was a bit nonplussed. “I’m not in the habit of receiving complaints in that area.”

“Man, I guess not, it’s still - weird. Cool, but weird. And beside the point. Ok. This is the point. I do believe you, but I could fallible too. And even if I do, even if we left you here, you still have the warrant hanging over your head. Anyone else could pick it up. I mean, that’s not going to happen because we won’t just ignore it - Ushijima already knows about it, and. Well. Without proof, my hands are tied.”

Everyone was silent a moment, then Kenma spoke up. “What if we got proof.”

“How?” Tendou said, narrowing his eyes. “I assume that if proof was easy for you to obtain, you would’ve done it by now.”

“What if Daishou confessed?”

“Kenma?” Kuroo asked.

“And just how do you expect that to happen?” Tendou replied.

“I’m pretty sure I could persuade him. Kuroo, let go,” Kenma said, shrugging off Kuroo’s hands.

Akaashi looked at Kenma thoughtfully. “We were going to after Daishou anyways.”

Kuroo scowled. “Don’t encourage him!”

“True,” Kenma said. “I just have to make sure not to kill him. Well, at least not before we record his confession.”

“If we had a confession, I could probably push for a new trial,” Yaku mused.

“Stop it!” Kuroo yelled. “Stop, all of you. Kenma can’t go. If Daishou captures him, he - Akaashi you know!”

Akaashi looked into Kuroo’s eyes, seeing the bone-deep fear. He knew that fear. Kuroo was right. What Daishou had done to Akaashi would be nothing in comparison to what he’d do if he got his hands on Kenma. 

But Kenma was looking at him as well, gaze steady, eyes full of the same knowledge shared between Kuroo and Akaashi.

“Kenma is far from helpless,” Yaku said. “I mean, I’m sure you’re far from helpless as well, Akaashi, but Kenma won’t be going in alone. I’ll go with him, and Lev too.”

“I’m sure Bokuto will join you all. Possibly some of our other allies,” Akaashi said.

“I’ll come with you,” Tendou said. 

“Me too,” Kuroo said.

“No,” said Tendou firmly. 

“But -”

“Same consequences apply as the ones I spelled out earlier. If you leave this ship or try to escape from our custody, or if myself or Semi is injured or incapacitated by you or your allies, Fukurodani will be send the full details of the data I uncovered and the backstory Kenma put in place will be destroyed.”

Kuroo glared at him, starting to protest. 

Akaashi sighed, tired of all of this. “He’s telling the truth. And he’s right about the warrant, too. You can’t keep running away.”

Now Kuroo was the one giving him a weird look. “I -” he said, sitting back in his chair.

“It’s weird, isn’t it?” Tendou asked.

“Yeah,” Kuroo said absently, rubbing his temple.

Akaashi frowned, starting to feel self-conscious. He looked at Kenma who just shrugged, looking confused as well.

“Well,” Kenma said, “we’ll have to find them before any of that is possible. They should be grounded from any space travel, at least for now. Fukurodani has them on their watch list too. Given enough time, they can probably get a ship to smuggle them off, but that’ll take a bit.”

“He may not want to leave right away anyhow,” Akaashi mused.

“Why not?” Tendou asked.

“He wants me,” Kenma said. “Or Kuroo.”

Akaashi nodded. “I’m not sure he has a preference at this point. It’s possible Nohebi took this job merely to get close to Kuroo.”

“Probably so,” Kenma said. “If they leave, there’s no telling if they could ever make it back. Anyone willing to smuggle them into Fukurodani territory would probably risk the corporation’s wrath.”

“I hate this,” Kuroo said softly.

Kenma looked up at him, squeezing his hand. “I don’t like it any more than you do,” he murmured, “but it’s the only way.”

Akaashi wasn’t sure it was actually the only way, but it did seem to be the best way. At least, for now.

~~~

“I really really hate this,” Kuroo said.

“Me too, bro,” Bokuto replied, nuzzling into his neck from behind.

Sighing Kuroo pulled Kenma closer, curling fingers around the fabric of his shirt and burying his face in the other’s hair. He looked over into Akaashi’s tired grey-green eyes. They were all curled up in Bokuto and Akaashi’s bed, finally all resting together.

“I don’t think any of us like it,” Akaashi said, raising one hand to brush Kuroo’s hair away from his forehead. His other hand was currently being grasped tightly by Kenma’s, their knees pressing together. Kenma had been almost silent ever since they left the meeting with Tendou.

It wasn’t a surprise.

If Kuroo were to look at the situation objectively, he knew what Kenma and the others had decided was the best course of action. He knew that Kenma was strong, and fast, and a better fighter than Daishou one on one. He knew that Kenma was probably at least as smart if not smarter, and that he could be just as ruthless. Tendou had already proven his ruthlessness, and Bokuto wasn’t a slouch either.

Then, there was Yaku and Lev, and whoever else would be joining.

That didn’t change the fact that Kenma would be at risk - all of them would.

“Can I change the subject?” Akaashi asked.

“Hmm?” Kuroo said, closing his eyes and inhaling the scent of Kenma’s hair. Bokuto was holding him firmly and it helped, helped a lot, to be sandwiched between the other two. Bokuto was a grounding force.

Akaashi went quiet after asking the question. The silence stretched out long enough that Kuroo looked up. Akaashi was looking down, both hands clasped again around Kenma’s. Kuroo let go of Kenma so that he could rest his fingers over their hands, feeling Akaashi fidget.

“You want to ask about changes,” Kenma said softly.

Akaashi nodded.

“Changes?” Kuroo asked, confused.

“What changes?” Bokuto echoed.

“I told him that you and I had made some decisions after we talked,” Kenma murmured, squeezing Akaashi’s fingers. “That we were going to make some changes.”

“Oh,” Kuroo murmured. A part of him wasn’t sure he was ready for this conversation. Another part felt like putting it out in the open needed to be done, because it already felt real to him. Even just this moment with all four of them together, or the way they’d had each other’s backs in the conference room, it felt like they were already together.

“Yes.” Kenma said. “I thought we all needed to be together to have the conversation though, because it affects all of us.”

“It does?” Bokuto asked, hand slipping from where it had been wrapped around Kuroo’s stomach, coming to rest on his thigh instead.

Kenma nodded. “I told Kuroo that I wasn’t comfortable being in an open relationship anymore. Because of Daishou, and. Well. It’s never been a really huge thing to me.”

“Kenma?” Bokuto said. There was something close to fear written in his voice, and Kuroo wanted to turn and comfort him, hold him close and explain. 

Kenma was moving before he could do any of that though, turning himself and sitting between Akaashi and Kuroo, back to the foot of the bed. He reached out to hold Bokuto’s hand, then picked up Akaashi’s. “What I want,” Kenma said haltingly, chewing on his bottom lip for a moment before continuing, “and this is what I want, I don’t want to force you into anything I’m just telling you what I’m comfortable with. What I want is to be with you, Bo. And you, Akaashi. And Kuroo. And no one else. Like a closed circle. I don’t want to share any of you with anyone else. I know it’s selfish, but I...”

It was a long speech for Kenma, especially when that speech was something that laid his core open and bare. It made Kuroo’s heart warm to hear him. He didn’t deserve him. He never had, not since the very beginning, but moments like this brought the realization home.

“Is that what you want, Kuroo?” Akaashi asked, looking over at him.

Kuroo wanted to yell at Akaashi now for leaving Kenma in suspense, but he wouldn’t. “Yes, it is. I want us to try, at least. See how it goes.”

“You want me?” Bokuto asked. “Us, I mean. You want us?”

Kuroo wasn’t sure if the question was directed at him or Kenma, but Kenma nodded, saying, simply, “Yes.”

“Wow,” Bokuto said. There was wonder and barely-suppressed excitement in his voice now. “Wow! Uh, what do you think, Akaashi?”

Akaashi’s lips pursed, and he looked from Kenma’s face to Kuroo’s, expression neutral. If Kuroo hadn’t already had a similar conversation with him before, he’d probably be nervous. He hoped that Kenma wasn’t freaking out.

Kenma was freaking out, of course. He knew that, knew he hoped in vain. So he switched his hope to the thought that Akaashi wouldn’t draw this out too long. 

“I think,” Akaashi said, “that it’s worth a try.”

Kenma let out a long sigh of relief. 

Akaashi smiled, reaching up and pulling him back down against him, nuzzling Kenma’s neck and hugging him tight. “I’m sorry,” Akaashi murmured. “Did I scare you?”

Kenma shook his head, then nodded, reaching out for Kuroo’s hand and clutching it tightly.

“I’m sorry,” Akaashi said again, face disappearing behind Kenma’s head. Kuroo couldn't see what he was doing, but from the way Kenma leaned his head forward, Kuroo wondered if kisses to the back of his neck were involved. 

Bokuto was practically bouncing with excitement behind him. Kuroo smiled, reaching back with his free hand and grasping Bokuto’s hand tightly.

“Dude,” Bokuto said. “This means you - and me - dude!”

Kuroo laughed. “I have a feeling this means I’ll be seeing more of your silly underwear in the future.”

“Bro, you know my underwear is awesome. But yeah. And I get Kenma kisses!”

Kenma huffed a small laugh, but the smile half-hidden behind his cascade of hair was real.

“And,” Bokuto continued, “I get Akaashi too! I’m so lucky!”

“No Tsukki though,” Akaashi mentioned, looking over at Bokuto with a serious expression.

“Oh,” Bokuto said, stilling for just a moment. “That’s true. But - I mean, you know Akaashi - I like Tsukki a whole whole lot, but things with Kuroo and Kenma, they just -”

“They fit,” Kenma said softly.

“Yes,” Akaashi replied, hugging Kenma tight. “They fit.”

Sighing happily and nuzzling Kuroo’s neck, Bokuto said, “Yes.”

Kuroo smiled. They did fit. Even in the midst of all these storms surrounding them, there was something about the way Bokuto and Akaashi fit with them that just felt right and good. It was grounding. It was safe.

Kuroo squeezed Kenma’s hands and his lover looked up at him, golden eyes sparkling with red. He looked happy. He looked beautiful.

“I think,” Kuroo murmured, “that we’re all lucky.”

Kenma nodded, turning his head to let Akaashi nuzzle his neck. Turning further he said, “Yes, we are,” before kissing the corner of Akaashi’s mouth. 

Akaashi responded by kissing Kenma deeper, shifting so that he was above Kenma, one hand pressing down on Kenma’s chest.

“You’re still tired,” Kenma murmured, licking his lips and then opening to another kiss.

Akaashi dove in, slow and serious, pulling away from Kenma’s mouth with his lower lip between his teeth. Letting go, Akaashi said, “Yes. But not too tired.”

“Woah,” Bokuto said from behind Kuroo’s back. “Bro, talk about lucky.”

Shivering Kuroo nodded, watching as Akaashi moved his way from Kenma’s mouth to trace down over his throat. Kenma arched in response, eyes closed, lips slightly parted as he sighed in pleasure. Fuck but they looked good together.

Akaashi’s hand moved up, tugging at the zipper of Kenma’s shirt, starting to expose inch after delicious inch of Kenma’s bare skin.

Kuroo pressed his hips back against Bokuto, feeling the effect the scene was having on the other man. “So sexy,” he muttered.

Kenma’s eyes slit open at that and he glanced over, not moving his head. He just slowly traced the top of his upper lip with the tip of his tongue, watching for reactions.

“Fuck,” Bokuto whispered, grinding his hips forward against Kuroo’s ass.

“Maybe,” Akaashi said, biting down on an unmarked expanse of pale skin. 

Kenma let out the softest gasp in response. Kuroo could listen to his noises for forever. 

He wondered if this was what heaven was like.


	43. Celebration and Exploration (E)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OK so more sin, so much sin, but it's been a bit so... enjoy. Rated E for explicit :)

Kenma could feel the vibrations of the zipper against his skin as Akaashi pulled it all the way down, pushing a line down over his chest and stomach. He sucked in a breath, muscles tightening as the metal was pressed against his belly button. 

Akaashi probably noticed.

No, Akaashi definitely noticed. His eyes had flicked up to look at Kenma, thoughtful sound escaping his mouth. 

It made Kenma almost forget that he was putting on a show for Kuroo and Bokuto. Akaashi was intense in a way that was different than Kuroo. More acute. For a moment Kenma thought about being caught between the two of them, unraveled and held by Kuroo’s strength and Akaashi’s sharpness. The thought made him shudder.

Akaashi smirked, pushing the fabric of Kenma’s shirt open. He glanced up once before diving down, biting at the skin around Kenma’s belly button. It forced a curse out of Kenma’s throat and he squirmed, feeling the strength of Akaashi’s hands as they held his hips down. Akaashi didn’t let up, just pressed his lips against Kenma’s skin in an open-mouthed suck, tongue pushing in as far as it would go. Akaashi’s eyes were sparking as he looked up, watching Kenma’s reactions, pushing sensation in right at the tip of his tongue.

Kenma groaned as the feeling shot straight to his cock. A whine from the side made him look over and see Bokuto staring at him hungrily. Kuroo was staring as well, golden eyes flashing red as he drank in the sight. Kenma shivered, feeling like he was the center of attention for all three of them. It was a scary thought, especially with how vulnerable he was feeling at the moment. Scary, but not entirely unwelcome.

They wanted him.

Kuroo loved him.

Love - love with Bokuto and Akaashi - love was something they’d have to work on later. Right now, Kenma knew that what lay between them was a deep affection and attraction. That was enough for him right now.

Akaashi moved, kissing over Kenma’s stomach then up, fingers tracing skin as he mapped his body. Kenma smiled and reached down, pulling Akaashi up for another kiss. His lips were slightly cool, That didn’t last long though. Soon the sensation was sparking between them, lips and tongue dancing together hungrily as Akaashi palmed him over his pants. He bit Akaashi’s lip in retaliation for the actions earlier, earning himself a hard squeeze that left him gasping.

“Akaaaaaashi,” Bokuto whined, and Kenma huffed a laugh into the kiss.

Akaashi pulled back, scowling a bit before composing himself and looking over. “Yes, Bokuto-san?” he said, grinding his hand against Kenma’s cock in a way that was entirely unfair.

“I -” Bokuto started, eyes flicking over the two of them as he held on to Kuroo’s hips. 

Kenma turned his head. Kuroo was being unusually quiet. Then again, Kenma knew how much he liked to watch.

Making up his mind, Kenma said, “Come here, Bo.”

“Ah, but,” Bokuto said, glancing down at Kuroo.

“Kuroo’s in trouble right now,” Kenma replied, looking at Kuroo to make sure this was alright. His lover looked at him then nodded, moving so that Bokuto could clamber over him. 

Kenma let himself be pulled out from under Akaashi, glancing up to see amusement on his face as Bokuto’s large hand wrapped around Kenma’s waist, hugging him close to the other’s muscular body. It wasn’t sexy, not really, not yet. Not the way Akaashi had been. But Bokuto’s movements were just so fucking honest.

Kenma laughed, looking up at the wonder in Bokuto’s eyes. 

“Kenma,” Bokuto murmured, large hand sinking into Kenma’s hair and pulling his head back with just a little too much force. “My Kenma?”

Kenma sucked in a gasp, feeling Akaashi press him from behind, hand sliding around to unzip his pants. “Maybe,” he teased, lips quirking as he met Bokuto’s eyes.

There was a slight pout on the other’s face that turned into a flash of heat right before Bokuto pulled him into a kiss. This one was bruising, wanting, wet hungry heat that completely distracted Kenma for a few moments. When Bokuto pulled away, Kenma found that Akaashi had taken care of the rest of his clothing. For a moment it bothered Kenma to be the only one naked here. Then Akaashi was kissing down his back, hand reaching around to tease his nipples, and Kenma didn’t mind so much.

He did look over to make sure Kuroo was ok, not wanting him to truly feel left out. 

Evidently he wasn’t actually the only one naked.

Kuroo smiled at him, a soft warm smile that did things to Kenma’s heart. 

Kenma smiled back, trying to catch his thoughts, tempted to get lost in the affection his two new partners were showering on his body. Bokuto had moved down to suck on his collarbone, touches vacillating between too much and too light in a way that Kenma found unfairly endearing. Kenma slipped a hand between them to unbutton Bokuto’s shirt, appreciating the way he moved back to give him room.

Akaashi’s hand was on his hip now, little nipping bites making it hard for Kenma to concentrate. He huffed, pushing Bokuto onto his back and wiggling in Akaashi’s grasp. Turning his head he said, “You have too many clothes on.”

“Sorry,” Akaashi replied. “I was a bit busy.”

He didn’t sound sorry, and his hand drifted down to squeeze an asscheek as Kenma moved to straddle Bokuto. He swatted the hand away and waved his fingers, hearing Akaashi laugh. For the moment, though, Kenma turned his attention to Bokuto, tugging his shirt open and resting the flat of his hands on the other’s muscular chest. 

Bokuto’s hands wrapped around his hips in a touch that was finally calm. “You’re beautiful,” he said, looking up at Kenma.

Kenma ducked his head, studying the way Bokuto’s skin slid under his fingertips. “Are you always like this?” he murmured.

Akaashi chuckled again. “Yes.”

“Akaaaashi,” Bokuto said, glancing over and getting distracted. Kenma turned his head, humming happily at the sight of Akaashi finally getting undressed. Every inch of revealed skin was more enticing than the last. 

Kenma rocked his hips, feeling Bokuto’s hands slide around to grasp his cheeks. He curved his fingers into the side of Bokuto’s chest, feeling like he needed to ground himself. It was a bit overwhelming suddenly. Not in a bad way, though.

Looking away from Akaashi he checked on Kuroo again, grounding himself in his lover’s familiar face. Kuroo was on his side, gaze intense as he stroked his cock, hand slow and almost lazy in its movements. 

“Now,” Akaashi said, “Bokuto is the slow one.”

Bokuto made a small noise that Kenma muffled with his mouth, lifting his hips at the urging of Akaashi’s hands. He soon felt the fabric of Bokuto’s pants being pulled down. Raising his head up Kenma smiled down at Bokuto, chuckling as the man pulled his hips closer.

“What?” Kenma said.

“You’re beautiful,” Bokuto muttered, gaze obviously on Kenma’s cock.

Smiling Kenma worked his way up Bokuto’s body, reaching out to grab the headboard when he almost lost his balance. Bokuto slid his arms back between Kenma’s legs and pulled him down, kissing the inside of his thigh.

“Ah,” Kenma murmured, tilting his hips at Bokuto’s urging and sucking in a breath at the sensation when Bokuto took his balls into his mouth, tongue sliding around in the most delicious fashion.

“Is it good, Kenma?” Kuroo said, voice low. 

Nodding Kenma dropped his head to look back at him, drinking in the hunger in Kuroo’s gaze. Bokuto urged him forward again and he complied, feeling the other man’s hands pull apart his asscheeks so that his mouth could find its target.

Groaning Kenma tightened his grip on the headboard. He very rarely let anyone other than Kuroo do this. Bokuto’s tongue was delicious, fluttering against his asshole and then smoothing in long heavy licks. 

A sudden groan from the man beneath him was matched with wet squelching noises. Kenma lifted his head and looked behind him, watching as Akaashi sucked in Bokuto’s cock. Perfect. Kuroo was watching Akaashi work as well, though his gaze had drifted further back. Kenma saw a bottle of lube beside Akaashi’s leg and raised an eyebrow, distracted when Bokuto’s fingers shifted, one starting to press in.

His mouth opened at the feeling, familiar fear and vulnerability rising up to choke him. He wanted this though. Wanted Bokuto. Wanted Akaashi. The thought that the green-eyed man had a perfect view of Kenma getting fingered open made the noises spilling from his lips rise in volume. Bokuto kept pushing in deeper, mouth moving up to work at his balls again. 

He wanted more. Wanted attention on his cock. He pressed back against the finger trying to shift Bokuto’s mouth to a better location, but all he did was lazily lap at the underside, sucking lightly right underneath the head. Kenma growled and looked down into Bokuto’s eyes, glaring.

Bokuto just smirked and pressed another finger in deep, turning to bite at the straining muscles of Kenma’s thighs. Kenma cursed, fingers curling around hard metal. Then Bokuto let out a cry of pleasure that made Kenma turn to look behind him.

Akaashi had moved. He was kneeling over Bokuto’s hips, sunk flush against him, mouth half-open in a look of lazy, satisfied pleasure. The look changed to a smirk as Akaashi caught Kenma’s eye, hands moving from his knees to the blond’s hips. 

“My turn,” Akaashi purred.

Bokuto’s fingers slid out, his big hands helping Akaashi pull Kenma back. Not that Kenma minded one bit, even if his legs were stretched wide as he knelt with them outside Akaashi’s legs. He could feel Bokuto’s eyes on him, looked over to see Kuroo moving, hands on the bed now as he came closer, looking up at them with an almost feral hunger. This was his Kuroo. This confident, sly, ravenous creature. He wanted to do so many things to him.

Akaashi’s hands were insisting on doing things to Kenma first, though, sliding up his body and then back down, fingertips pressing into straining muscles. Leaning back Kenma let his arms raise, tangling in Akaashi’s hair as he turned his head to kiss the other man. Bokuto’s hands slid over his skin as well, fingertips teasing in concert with Akaashi’s. They’d done this before. They’d practiced working a third body between them many times, Kenma was almost sure of it. It made him groan into Akaashi’s mouth, hips squirming, trying to get those fingers to touch just where he wanted, all the places they were avoiding in such a frustratingly delicious fashion.

Finally Akaashi’s hand slid up into Kenma’s hair, pulling his head back. Kenma growled at him, eyes flashing. Akaashi looked back, glowing green eyes full of calm challenge.

“I want to fuck you,” Akaashi said.

The words slid all the way down inside Kenma, curling up someplace dark and deep within. “Then fuck me,” he answered back, trying to go back in for a biting kiss. Akaashi’s hand in his hair held him back until the other man dove in, lips bruising against Kenma’s, kiss and touch driving Kenma wild. He heard the other two men on the bed speak words of appreciation but didn’t really pay them any attention. He was far too focused on Akaashi’s hand in his hair and the feeling of the bottle of lube as Akaashi’s other hand reached down and opened it, Bokuto’s hands pulling Kenma’s hips forward enough so that Akaashi’s fingers could slide between them, two pushing past Kenma’s entrance and sliding in deep. 

The feeling of another hand against his knee made Kenma break the kiss, turning to glare down at Kuroo. The other man looked up at him, lips pulled back in challenge, but Kenma raised his chin and just stared. After a moment Kuroo pulled back, hand inches from the other men’s bodies. Bokuto started to reach over and Kenma looked up at him. The other man’s gaze was intense. Still happy but knowing, somehow. Kenma gave a small nod, and Bokuto’s fingers threaded into Kuroo’s hair, making the dark-haired man tilt his head into the caress like a cat. This was perfect.

Akaashi chuckled, fingers curling and twisting, a third sliding in deep making Kenma lean forward with his hands resting on Bokuto’s chest. 

“Tell me,” Kuroo growled, head turning as Bokuto massaged his scalp. “Tell me what it feels like.”

Kenma tilted his head, letting his hair slide down as he regarded his lover. “Good,” he finally said, sucking in a breath as Akaashi withdrew his fingers and lifted his hips. A little cry spilled over Kenma’s lips as he felt Akaashi’s cock press against him. “He’s - ah - he’s pushing into me, Kuroo, opening me up, fuck.”

How long had it been since a cock other than Kuroo’s had done this? He didn’t even remember. It had been a very very long time, he knew that much. It felt right that it was Akaashi, though. 

“He’s long,” Kenma continued, feeling his cheeks heat up as the words spilled out of his mouth. “Long, Kuroo, fuck, Akaashi.”

Kenma panted, thankful for the three hands on his body, Bokuto’s fingers brushing gently over his side as Akaashi’s hands held his hips steady. It was different than having Kuroo inside him. Akaashi just moved differently, he didn’t know Kenma’s body like Kuroo did. But he was a fast learner.

Soon, almost too soon, he was all the way in, hands moving from hips to rub circles on Kenma’s lower back, waiting for him to adjust. It didn’t take long. 

When Akaashi moved Bokuto groaned, reminding Kenma that Akaashi was sandwiched between them. Kenma curled his hands on Bokuto’s chest and looked up into his face, wanting to smile in reflection of the other man’s wide grin. “You two,” Kenma started, trailing off as Akaashi thrust up into him hard.

“Are exactly what you wanted?” Bokuto supplied, hand lifting to cradle Kenma’s cheek.

Kenma nuzzled into it, looking down at Kuroo before meeting Bokuto’s eyes once again. “Exactly what we want,” he murmured, arching his back as Akaashi’s fingers slid up his back, curling around his shoulders for leverage as he slowly thrust in deep.

Rocking his hands to meet every thrust Kenma turned to kiss Bokuto’s hand, eyes tracking as Kuroo moved to kneel beside them, watching Akaashi hungrily. He glanced over at Kenma, eyes broadcasting a silent request. Kenma smiled, rules slipping from their place of importance in his mind for the moment. This was too fluid, too new, and he wanted to lose himself in these bodies surrounding him. He nodded to Kuroo and felt him lean forward, hand rubbing over Kenma’s arm before he kissed his shoulder, then turned his attention to Akaashi. 

Kenma, on the other hand, was drawn back to looking deep into Bokuto’s eyes. He saw a spark of amusement there, then a grin. All of a sudden he felt Akaashi’s pace stutter and heard him swear under his breath as he thrust up harder, Bokuto’s stomach muscles flexing with the new pace. Bokuto chuckled, eyes hungry and intense as he watched Kenma’s face. His hand shifted, thumb brushing against Kenma’s lips. Opening his mouth Kenma sucked the thumb in, watching Bokuto and feeling the press of him in his mouth, grounding him as the pace picked up.

Akaashi’s sounds were muffled, covered over by other wet sloppy noises. Kenma moaned around the thumb in his mouth as a hand wrapped around his cock. He couldn’t look down, couldn’t see if it was Kuroo or Bokuto, but it felt like Bokuto’s. Then another hand joined it, fingers sparking sensation on the head of his cock. It was tight and perfect, both of them working him, pulling at the vestiges of his control. 

Bokuto was crooning softly, words Kenma couldn’t even process. It didn’t matter. Their meaning was clear, as clear as the look on his face. Comforting, seductive, possessive, and so damn appreciative Kenma almost couldn’t stand it. He couldn’t look away either though, couldn’t look away from those golden eyes that seemed to peer all the way into him, perceptive and adoring at the same time. It made Kenma move his hips faster. The situation was just too overwhelming. He couldn’t escape, was caught in front and behind.

Akaashi’s voice was suddenly clear. He leaned forward, forehead resting against Kenma’s shoulder, panting little cries falling from his mouth.

Kuroo had moved to kiss Kenma’s shoulder again before whispering in his ear. “How does it feel to be fucked, Kenma? To have Akaashi’s cock fucking you hard and fast like this, knowing that Bokuto is fucking into him?”

Kenma just moaned and closed his eyes, sucking hard on Bokuto’s thumb, feeling so deliciously perfectly trapped as Kuroo bit at his earlobe before continuing.

“Do you want him to cum inside you, Kenma? Fill you up? You look so perfect like this, so good. Hair all messed up, sweaty, body flushed, helpless in your pleasure. I love it when you look like this, kitten. So fucking wrecked.”

Flushing deeper Kenma looked down at Bokuto. He could tell by the look in the man’s eyes that he’d heard every word. It made Kenma feel so vulnerable, bared open, naked and exposed before all of them. It made him want to run but there was something so delicious about being held fast by this pleasure, by these men he’d chosen as his lovers. 

“Do you want to come, kitten?” Kuroo asked.

Kenma nodded. He did. He did and he didn’t. He wanted this to go on forever, trapped and pushed higher with every thrust, feeling the speed increasing, pleasure spiking as he tilted his hips and felt Akaashi’s cock open him up with every push, rubbing against all the perfect places inside him. 

“I don’t know, maybe we should make you hold out. Hold you at that edge, not let you spill over. Make you feel Akaashi cum in you deep, push you down, let Bokuto fuck you through the slickness as it runs out of you, fill you up with the same cock that’s been drilling into Akaashi’s ass. Maybe I can finish you off, all sloppy and beautiful and so fucked out and on edge you can’t even think straight when we finally let you fall over the edge. You like that idea, kitten? You like being filled up with all of us, marked as ours?”

Kenma keened at the words, feeling like he was falling, caught up in sensation and pleasure and all the hands and bodies surrounding him. He moaned out words around Bokuto’s thumb. Please maybe, fuck, their names, random syllables from foreign languages half remembered he didn’t even know. Kuroo’s words and Akaashi’s cock and Bokuto’s eyes and all of it just had him captured, unraveling him, leaving him nothing but a mess of pleasure moving in response.

“Later,” Kuroo promised, kissing his ear. “That and so much more. You’re so fucking beautiful Kenma, love you so much, come for me kitten, let go.”

The hands on him moved faster and Kuroo bit his neck, sparking pleasure that pulled Kenma over the edge. He tightened around Akaashi’s cock and felt his thrusts stutter, felt the other man cry out against his back. His thrusts sped up, fucking into Kenma hard, starting to be almost painful as he came down from his orgasm into oversensitivity.

Then Akaashi was coming too and Kenma fell forward, pulling off so that the last few spurts hit his lower back. He fell onto Bokuto’s chest and felt the man’s strong arms curl around him as he groaned. So perfect So beautiful.

There was movement behind him. Kenma glanced over lazily, saw Kuroo pulling Akaashi into his arms, lowering him onto the bed beside them and cradling him gently as he kissed his neck. He looked exhausted. 

Kenma shook his head. 

They probably should’ve gone for something a little less strenuous for him, especially considering his injuries.

He couldn’t bring himself to regret a thing, though.

Bokuto hummed happily next to him, hand sliding down and rubbing Akaashi’s cum against Kenma’s skin, fingers tracing in the swiftly cooling liquid. “You guys are kinda kinky,” he said.

Chuckling, Kuroo said, “You have no idea, bro. No idea.”

Kenma snorted, shifting as Bokuto’s fingertips trailed down to rub against his entrance. “Hey,” Kenma said. “Still sensitive.”

The man didn’t really listen, so Kenma swatted him lightly on the shoulder. Finally the hand moved to just clutch at Kenma’s thigh.

“We should look at lists sometime,” Bokuto said, turning to kiss Kenma’s cheek. “It’d be fun. Akaashi makes up all these rules too, it’s great stuff.”

Kenma smiled, lifting up long enough to look over at Akaashi. The man was passed out cold, it looked like. Kuroo was nuzzling his cheek.

“Later,” Kenma said, snuggling down against Bokuto. He felt really good, all warm and strong as he held Kenma.

“Yeah, bro,” Kuroo murmured. “That sounds like a great idea.”

Kenma felt blissfully languid, feeling himself lifted with every inhale Bokuto made. He was probably too heavy. Bokuto should probably tell him to get off. He was surprised Kuroo hadn’t started bugging him about going to take a shower, telling him how much he’d hate waking up with cum and sex all over himself. 

None of that was forthcoming, though.

Instead they were just quiet. Content. Happy.

And Bokuto’s hand was sliding slowly back up, testing the waters, teasing again at Kenma’s hole. For some reason it crossed the line from mildly annoying to incredibly amusing. He chuckled.

He wasn’t quite sure what exactly he’d gotten himself into, but so far, he had no complaints.


	44. Unpleasant Discoveries and Pleasant Indulgences (E)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok so the first scene may be a bit squicky for some, just fair warning. Nothing too graphic tho.
> 
> The second scene - well. Enjoy more sin. These guys deserve it. Bokuto deserves it *thumbsup*

Hinata bounced his leg, looking around at the others riding in the back of the truck with him. It was exciting, being on his first official mission with his team. He would never admit it, of course, but he’d missed running things with Kageyama. 

Tsukishima wasn’t all bad, either. 

Just mostly.

“So,” said the man across from him, “have you been with the coppers long?”

Hinata blinked, ransacking his mind for the name of the scruffy-haired man. Komi? Komi, yeah. “Not too long!”

“This is his first official mission,” Kageyama said.

“Hey! Is not!”

“Might as well be, dumbass.”

Hinata scowled at him. Of course, he expected that Kageyama would be difficult, it was in his nature. It might possibly also be the other man’s way of saying that he was glad Hinata was there. No telling really. Kageyama was just like that sometimes. Hinata was tempted to stick his tongue out at him.

Deciding to be the bigger man and ignore that temptation, he turned back to Komi. “I did undercover before this.”

Kageyama looked down at him, haughty as usual. “One undercover mission.”

“One very successful undercover mission!” Hinata said.

The man next to Komi chuckled. “He reminds me of someone.”

“Oh?” Komi said, looking at Hinata and grinning. “You mean Bokuto?”

Leaning forward Hinata said, “You guys know Bokuto?”

“Sure do,” the one man said. Kohona. Wait. No. Konoha. That was his name. “We trained together.”

“He was on my undercover mission with me!” Hinata said, bouncing a bit. “He’s great. Do you know Kenma too?”

“Who?” Komi asked.

“Bokuto and Akaashi’s new teammate,” Tsukishima said, not glancing up from the tablet in his hands.

“Oh yeah!” Komi said. “I heard they had new teammates - Alephians, right?”

“Yeah,” Kageyama said. “Kenma and Kuroo.”

The way Kageyama said Kuroo’s name got Hinata’s attention. He knew that his friend had spent more time with the other Alephian. Hinata wasn’t quite sure what merited Kageyama’s voice going soft though, or him looking down thoughtfully at his hands. He wasn’t really sure how to understand the way it made his heart beat in uncomfortable ways. 

“We’re here,” Tsukishima said, looking up as the truck came to a stop.

“Awesome!” Hinata said, standing quickly and checking his equipment as the men from Fukurodani exited in front of him.

Kageyama snorted at him, whispering, “newbie” as they moved to the end of the truck and started getting out. Tsukishima actually had the gall to reach a hand up when Hinata came to the end.

Affronted Hinata jumped down, landing perfectly as always. It did nothing to alleviate the haughty smirk on the other man’s face.

So annoying.

“If you’d actually drunk your milk when we were growing up,” Kageyama muttered, “you’d be tall enough that he wouldn’t do that.”

“Meeeeh!” Hinata said. “I can still jump higher than either of you!”

“I’ll keep that in mind when I need to get something off the top shelf.”

Kageyama was such a pain.

Hinata definitely wouldn’t be telling him he was glad he could finally be here. He’d already put up with enough grumbling from the other man, first because he insisted on staying independent and trying to rely on his job as a light-jockey and occasional graphic designer to support himself, and then because he’d finally given into pressure and applied to the Confederation. Kageyama was just difficult.

“Alright,” Tsukishima said as they approached the building in front of them. It was tall, a bit run down but obviously still taken care of. “Remember, be careful. The men here entered the building shortly after the warrant was found to be invalid. We think one of them is the hacker that falsified the data to begin with. We don’t want to spook them. Also, they could have set up traps.”

“A cornered wild animal is even more dangerous, eh?” Kohona said.

“Exactly.”

Hinata nodded, checking his equipment once again. He felt naked without all of the toys he’d put together over the years. They only had standard-issue things right now. But that would be alright.

It wasn’t the special equipment that made him who he was, anyways.

He followed the other’s up the stairs to the apartment where their suspects were located. A buzz of adrenaline surged through him as Konoha busted the door down, and he fell in with the others as they entered the large open space, preparing for a firefight.

As it turned out, the occupants were peaceful. Peaceful as only the dead could be.

Two of them were on the floor near a large couch, bodies arched into unnatural angles. Hinata saw a hand with fingers splayed out against carpet, nails broken and torn. Deep red ruts in the carpet showed where the man had scratched desperately near the end.

“Can you recognize them?” Komi asked, leaning down near the men’s faces. “They’re so bloated, I’m not even sure -”

“Nah,” Kohona said. “We’ll just have to do a DNA check.”

Hinata watched as they pulled out a scanner. Neither seemed bothered by the presence of dead bodies. He wondered if he’d ever get so inured to the loss of life.

“Hey, dumbass,” Kageyama muttered, “we need to check the rest of the rooms.”

Feeling subdued Hinata followed him, checking door after door. 

“Ah,” Hinata said after he opened one of the last remaining doors, “Got something.”

There was another man here. He was dead as well, though this time he was sitting in a chair, arching, cheeks pulled back in a hideous grin. There was a computer in front of him.

Kageyama came up behind Hinata, following him into the room. “Looks like he was poisoned too,” he said.

“Poisoned?” Hinata asked.

“Yeah. They have some preliminary results. Some sort of toxin, maybe a venom of some sort. Time of death was within the last six to eight hours.”

“Huh,” said Hinata, morbid curiosity getting the better of him as he walked closer. Death was not something he was used to seeing. At least the corpses weren’t old. They didn’t smell quite as bad as Hinata had thought they might, though that would probably change in the future.

“I bet that’s our hacker,” said Tsukishima, walking in after them. “Same fate as the others, I see.”

Hinata nodded, feeling strangely subdued. He pulled on gloves and reached around the dead man to tap at his screen, waking it up. “I wonder if he realized he’d been poisoned before he - oh.”

There was a blinking dot on a map. The word ‘betra’ was in an open text box, keyboard still pulled up.

“I think,” Kageyama said, “that it’s safe to say he knew he’d been poisoned.”

“Seeking revenge on the ones who double-crossed him, eh?” Tsukishima said. “Well. We still need to finish processing the scene, and we’ll need to confirm this but if it’s real I think we know some people who will be very happy to have this information, don’t we.”

Kageyama pulled his creepy smile thing, and Hinata matched him grin for grin.

“Yeah,” Hinata said. “We do.”

~~~~~~

Bokuto was happy, infinitely happy. 

He had a lazy Kenma on top of him, grudgingly accepting all his pets. He could turn his head and see a passed-out Akaashi next to him, cradled by Kuroo, who Bokuto was convinced would turn out to be his best bro ever. They’d been trading quips back and forth for the past few minutes, words underscored by occasional groans and silent chuckles from the man in Bokuto’s arms. 

Kuroo was smiling. Kuroo was happy.

If it wasn’t for all the things hanging over them outside the bedroom, Bokuto would’ve said that his life was completely perfect. 

“He’s going to fall asleep on you soon,” Kuroo murmured, eyes fond as he looked at Kenma.

Kenma grumbled, nuzzling Bokuto’s chest. “Am not,” he said.

“Are too.”

“Am not!”

“Are too.”

Bokuto chuckled, wrapping his arms around Kenma and squeezing him tight. 

“You don’t want to go to sleep like that, kitten,” Kuroo murmured, kissing Akaashi’s neck softly as he looked over at the two of them. 

Kenma pushed up, looking over at Kuroo with a scowl. “Maybe,” he said, “I’m not ready to go to sleep yet.”

“Oh ho?” Kuroo asked.

“Oh hoh hoh?” Bokuto echoed, looking up at the blond. His hands slid down Kenma’s back, gently groping his ass. Kenma’s gaze slid down to Bokuto’s face, golden eyes all but unreadable. Bokuto felt a surge of excitement coil in his gut. He didn’t know what Kenma had in mind, but he knew he was up for it. Up for anything.

Kuroo chuckled. “Well, don't let me stop you,” he said, then shifted on the bed. “Ah, but much as I’d enjoy the show, I think I should probably clean this one up first. Since he is asleep.”

“Sure bro,” Bokuto said, watching Kenma as he shot the other man a look of fond affection. 

Kenma waited while Kuroo got off the bed, carrying Akaashi with him into the bathroom.

“He’s really kind, you know,” Kenma said. “He’s always taking care of people.”

“Do you take care of him?” Bokuto asked, fingertips pressing in against the crease where ass met thigh.

Kenma shifted, hips tilting. “Yeah,” he said, looking down, “but it’s not the same. He’s....”

“Kuroo,” Bokuto supplied, when it seemed like Kenma couldn’t find the words. 

“Yeah.”

“And you’re Kenma.”

Kenma gave a quiet chuckle, smiling down at him. “And you’re Bokuto,” he said. “Glad we got introductions all out of the way.”

“Well, yeah,” Bokuto said, grinning up at him. “I normally like to know someone’s name before I....”

Kenma hissed as Bokuto’s fingers slid over, one fingertip pushing in past the ring of muscle at his entrance. He didn’t look annoyed this time, or even indulgent. Instead there was a slight arch to his back, and his lips parted in a way Bokuto found fascinating. He moved the fingertip around, pulling at the edges of Kenma’s asshole. It tightened around him. Bokuto really wanted to feel how it would feel tightening around his cock.

His cock that was currently trapped by Kenma’s stomach and growing harder with every passing second. Of course, from the feel of it, Kenma’s cock wasn’t that far behind.

“You seem very preoccupied with my ass tonight,” Kenma said, words slightly breathless.

“It’s a very nice ass”

Kenma looked slightly disgruntled at that, or perhaps it was at the way that Bokuto had slipped a finger from his other hand in beside the first, pulling him open in two directions. 

“You barely paid any attention to my cock.”

Pouting. Kenma was pouting. Fuck but that was adorable.

“I was just playing,” Bokuto said, smirking up at him. The thought that some of the wetness he was feeling was Akaashi’s cum made him want to pay even more attention to Kenma’s ass, preferably with his mouth.

Kenma squirmed, the friction of it delicious against Bokuto’s cock. “You and Akaashi,” he murmured, “certainly know a lot about playing together.”

Bokuto’s lips curled further into a grin. “Yep! It’s fun,” he said. “Do you mind?”

“No, not really,” Kenma said, then shook his head. “Do you know how hard it is -”

“Yes,” Bokuto interrupted, pleased at the exasperated smile that crossed Kenma’s face.

“To hold a serious conversation with your fingers up my ass?”

Grinning up at him cheekily, Bokuto said, “I could put something else up your ass if it’d make you feel better.”

Kenma groaned, falling to the side and putting a hand over Bokuto’s face. “Don’t, just, don't wiggle your eyebrows like that at me, you’re as bad as Kuroo” he said, then pushed. “I should put something up your ass instead.”

Bokuto thought about that a moment, distracted from the thought of licking Kenma’s hand and the fact that the shift had caused one hand to fall to Kenma’s hip instead of his ass. 

“Well, if that’s what you wanted,” Bokuto said finally, kissing Kenma’s palm, “I wouldn’t be opposed.”

The hand shifted to brush his hair back as Kenma looked at him. Finally he grunted, pulling Bokuto onto his side facing him. “I’ll think about it,” Kenma murmured.

Bokuto grinned, moving forward impulsively to kiss him. Kenma’s leg slid up over his hip and Bokuto ran a hand up his thigh, squeezing the firm muscles of his leg. 

Kenma’s hand slid into Bokuto’s hair, clinching in a way that made Bokuto groan and rut against him as they deepened the kiss. Kenma’s mouth was fierce and hungry, sharp edges and a tongue that pressed hard against his own. Bokuto switched tactics, sucking the tongue in and feeling the way Kenma jerked, bodies rolling together in the most delicious fashion. He could kiss like this for hours. He wanted to map all of it out, learn what made Kenma respond, spoil him with pleasure for forever.

Bokuto rolled them over further until he was pressing down on top of Kenma’s body. There was no objection from the other man. Instead his free hand slid up Bokuto’s back, urging him closer, fingertips kneading into the muscles there. Bokuto loved this, loved kissing down into his mouth, loved the way their cocks felt as they rubbed together in the tight sweaty heat between their bodies.This was enough, he though, this was so good. He could feel the pleasure coiling tight in his gut from just this alone.

Then Kenma shifted, both legs coming up to squeeze Bokuto’s sides. It shifted their position and Bokuto mourned the loss of friction at first, pulling back and looking at Kenma questioningly.

“Well,” the blond said, face flushed and lips swollen, “since we aren’t trying to carry on a conversation anymore...”

Swearing Bokuto looked down at him, moaning as Kenma put his hands behind his knees and pulled back, showing himself off in a way that was far too sexy to be legal. All of a sudden Bokuto’s mind was filled with a plethora of things he wanted to do right at that moment, all of them involving either his mouth or his cock. “Kenmaaaa,” he whined.

Kenma laughed, hips shifting. “Maybe lube?”

Bokuto blinked a moment and then scrambled, reaching around blindly for the bottle they’d used earlier. Finally he found it and clicked it open, fumbling a bit as he spread lube on his cock. “I can - are you ready - should I -”

More chuckles spilled from Kenma’s mouth and Bokuto pouted at him, heart hurting at the tenderness he found in the other man’s golden eyes.

“I want you, Bo,” Kenma murmured.

That - this - oh, his life was perfect.

The ring of Kenma’s ass was as tight around his cock as he’d imagined as he started pressing in, one hand guiding himself as he leaned down to drink Kenma’s soft moan with his mouth. He went slow. He knew Kenma wouldn’t break, knew he wasn’t fragile - definitely knew it after what they’d done together earlier - but still, he didn’t want to hurt him if their earlier activities had left him sore.

Kenma didn’t seem to mind. 

His lips moved against Bokuto’s as they kissed, little murmurs slipping out in sounds that were captured before they could turn into words. They moved together, steady and gentle, soft and beautiful. Bokuto didn’t feel any urgency. He just wanted to savor this, finally having Kenma in his arms, pressing deep into him and feeling the way his lithe body responded. It was like swimming in the ocean, feeling the waves move you back and forth. It was pressure, and heat, and sweat, and a mouth that sucked in his tongue in time with the rhythm of their hips.

It was perfect.

He heard a noise behind him and pulled back from the kiss to look to the side. Kuroo was there, a sleepy-looking Akaashi draped across his shoulders. His gaze was warm and gentle as he watched them. “Don’t let us disturb you,” Kuroo murmured, laying Akaashi on the bed.

Bokuto looked into Akaashi’s eyes, heart overflowing at the happiness and love he saw there. Then he looked down at Kenma. There was a vulnerability there, a softness that entranced Bokuto because he knew just how hard Kenma could be sometimes. But here, now, he’d opened something in the smaller man, and it felt like he was seeing something precious. 

Smiling Bokuto pulled back and thrust in a little harder, looking down at Kenma to see if he approved. Kenma’s mouth curled and he nodded. Bokuto laughed, a soft quiet sound of delight as he lowered himself back, forehead pressing against forehead as he sped up the pace.

Kenma was so amazing, the way he moved, ass tightening around Bokuto’s cock, hips shifting. Bokuto pulled back again to get the angle just right, watching as Kenma’s eyes opened wide, wet mouth falling open as Bokuto managed to find that one perfect place. 

Like this, Kenma’s sounds weren’t muffled. They spilled from his mouth, soft, nonsensical, little gasps and pleas that sounds that might have been Bokuto’s name. Then it devolved into a steady chant, just “Bo, Bo, Bo,” repeated over and over. 

One of Kenma’s hands slipped from behind his knee and Bokuto replaced it, groaning as he saw the other man wrap his hand around his own cock and start to stroke. That hand - he’d always loved hands, but he knew he’d probably become as obsessed about Kenma’s hands as he was with Akaashi’s. That was ok.

He wanted to watch that hand, see all the way Kenma moved it as he stroked, but he didn’t want to miss an instant of the expressions on Kenma’s face. Looking back up Bokuto gasped. Kenma just looked so incredible, hair messed up, cheeks flushed, eyes blown with pleasure. Bokuto couldn’t stop thinking about how he’d done this. Kenma had given himself to Bokuto, and was showing all of this to him. Kuroo too, Kuroo got this, loved Kenma, got to see faces like this but he was happy that Kenma and Bokuto were together. The world was amazing. And Akaashi, his Akaashi - oh, he was so incredibly lucky. 

They were all together, and it was perfect.

Right now though it was him and Kenma. Kenma with his kiss-swollen lips and little gasping exhalations of his name. Kenma who was so tight and perfect around him, legs trembling as Bokuto pushed the one up higher so he could get just that much deeper in Kenma’s ass. Kenma who was crying out, breath coming in gulps, gaze darting around almost frantically until it locked onto Bokutos and then -

And then he fucking smiled, face scrunching up, back arching as he gave this tiny hiccuping gasp and came, crying out his pleasure.

It was enough to blow Bokuto’s mind.

For just a second he froze, hearing a small breathless laugh from the side.

Feeling self-conscious Bokuto looked over. “Shut up!” he told Kuroo.

Kenma shifted beneath him and Bokuto looked down, noticing the look of slight discomfort on the other man’s face. 

“Um,” Bokuto said, pulling back worriedly.

Kenma just sighed and shook his head, pushing Bokuto off him and onto his side, turning to shield him from Kuroo. “Ignore him,” he growled, reaching down and wrapping one of his small hands around Bokuto’s cock.

“But -”

“Hmm?”

Bokuto frowned, pressing his forehead against Kenma’s. “But I wanted to come inside you too.”

The hand around his cock tightened almost painfully, and Kenma sighed again. There was a fresh chuckle from Kuroo, cut off in the middle by a sleepy grumble from Akaashi. 

“Later,” Kenma murmured. “If it really means that much to you.”

“Oh,” Bokuto said. He wasn’t really sure if it did mean that much to him. It certainly didn’t mean as much as the tender look of exasperation in Kenma’s eyes, or the way that look gentled as he gazed into Bokuto’s own. 

“You made me feel incredible, Bo,” Kenma whispered. “Your cock, the way you moved inside me, opening me up so wide, the way you watched me, the kisses...”

“Oh,” said Bokuto again, losing himself in Kenma’s eyes and his words. He felt so full up of emotions and sensations. Kenma’s hand was moving faster, twisting, thumb flicking over his head in the most perfect fashion. The words spilling from the other man’s mouth were doing things to his insides. Kenma’s gaze though, it was hypnotizing. Pulling him closer and closer. Kenma was hungry for him. Hungry to see his pleasure. 

“Come for me, Bo,” Kenma whispered, and Bokuto did.

It was a wave of pleasure flowing over his body but more than that, he was falling into Kenma’s eyes, into his touch, giving over to this man who was carving a space out in Bokuto’s heart. It was perfect.

Kenma was perfect.

Bokuto was so fucking happy.

So he said so, watching Kenma duck his head, laughing and smiling at the same time. It was a joy.

“You two are adorable,” Kuroo said.

“Shut it,” Kenma replied, glancing back at him. Then he laughed again, looking down at the mess between them. “We should really take a shower now,” he said.

“Ok,” Bokuto said, already wondering if they could have another round in the shower and if it would be considered later.

Kenma seemed to grasp his thought process because he hit his shoulder. “To get clean, Bo,” he said, pushing him to get off the bed.

Kuroo laughed again.

Bokuto stuck his tongue out at him and Kenma sighed, turning around. “You! Change the sheets.”

“Fine, fine,” Kuroo said, waving at them.

Kenma shook his head, wobbly enough that Bokuto reached out to steady him as they walked to the bathroom. “What have I gotten myself into,” he muttered.

Smiling, Bokuto leaned down and kissed his shoulder. “Good things,” he murmured. “All good things.”

Kenma turned, catching him in a soft kiss before looking up at him fondly. 

“Yeah,” he said, lips curling. “I think you’re right.”


	45. The Truth Is Out There

Kuroo woke to the soft sound of humming. He grumbled a bit, turning his head and pushing the pillows out of the way so he could see his surroundings. Kenma was curled up on one side of him clutching the blanket to his chest. There was a tiny bit of drool coming out of the side of his mouth.

Snickering to himself Kuroo resisted the impulse to wake him. Kenma only drooled when he was really exhausted. He was pretty sure that recent events, especially those of the night before, were a valid reason for his lover to be tuckered out.

Turning his head to the other side he saw Akaashi lying on his back, arms crossed over his chest. His profile in the dim light was classically beautiful. Kuroo was, as always, amazed at his eyelashes, the delicacy of his bone structure, the perfect curls of his dark hair - all of it.

But he wasn’t the one who was humming.

Finally, Kuroo glanced down past the foot of the bed. Bokuto was sitting at the table there, tablet in hand. 

“Morning Bro,” Kuroo murmured.

Lifting his head with a start Bokuto turned towards him, raising a hand to his lips. “Shh!” he hissed, glancing at both Akaashi and Kenma. 

Chuckling, Kuroo considered his options and then carefully slid down to the foot of the bed, sitting up and padding over to him, looking down at the screen. “What’s that?” he whispered, leaning closer.

“Ah!” Bokuto said, smiling happily. “These are our owls! This here is Athena - Akaashi named him - and that’s Bohooto, her mate. And these over here on these screens are their chicks - Duster and Bokuto Jr over here, and Archimedes and Sage over there. Akaashi named those two.”

“Nice, bro,” Kuroo said, looking around and pulling up a chair so that he could sit next to him. “Where is that place?”

Bokuto leaned against him, humming again. “It’s a sanctuary here in the capitol. A few years ago, well. You know we can’t really have pets, not with how we’re having to be on the move so often.”

Kuroo nodded.

“So, on our anniversary a couple years ago, Akaashi took me to this sanctuary. It’s amazing, Kuroo, we should go. There are all sorts of birds, and owls, and then they have a section with big cats too - I bet you’d love that. All sorts of animals from old Earth. Anyways, some are on display, but they also have this breeding program that they were starting then where you could adopt owls and they’d let you get to watch them anytime you wanted. We can go and visit them too. It’s really awesome.”

“So cool,” Kuroo murmured. He reached out to hold the edge of the tablet, allowing Bokuto to slip an arm around his waist and pull him closer. 

“Yeah! See, this one, Athena - she’s the female. Female horned owls are bigger than the males. The males have deeper voices though. A lot of times they call in sync tho.”

Chuckling, Kuroo smiled at him. “Hoot,” he cried softly.

Eyes lighting up, Bokuto gave an answering hoot. Soon, they were calling back and forth to each other, softly giggling until Akaashi grumbled a low “quiet” from the bed. Stifling his laughter Kuroo glanced back, smiling as he saw Akaashi move to pull Kenma in for some sleepy snuggles. Bokuto turned to look as well, nuzzling his cheek and murmuring one last “hoot” into his ear before turning back to the screen.

“They’re really cute,” Bokuto whispered.

“Yeah,” Kuroo said. He wasn’t sure if Bokuto meant the owls or their lovers, but both were true. “So about the owls?”

“Ah! Yeah, Akaashi got me Bohooto and I got him Athena. They were our anniversary presents for each other. Well, two of them. I don’t get to watch the feed every day, but I try to catch it when I can. Make sure the babies are doing ok.”

“The babies?”

“Yeah! The people at the sanctuary were really excited when Athena laid her clutch. Four eggs! So when they hatched, Akaashi got to name the boys and I got to name the girls. They’re separated out right now, just until they’re old enough to find mates.”

Kuroo smiled, tapping on one of the owls. “So Bokuto Jr. is a girl?”

“Yep!” Bokuto said, pride evident in his voice. “Someday she’s gonna be the biggest and strongest girl owl out there too! Though Duster is pretty sly. One day, their descendants will be flying all over the forests of Aoba 5, catching all the stray field mice and rabbits out there.”

“That’s pretty cool.”

Bokuto nodded. “It’s awesome. Aoba 5 is a terraformed world, you know? No native species. A few years back they discovered that a problem with the gene sequencer for the fauna way back in the beginning was going to pose a problem for later generations, leaving them prone to mutations. Ever since then, they’ve been slowly trying to correct that problem. Our owls will be one of the tools to help things get back on the right track.”

“Wow,” Kuroo murmured, resting his head on Bokuto’s shoulder. “You learn something new every day.”

“Yeah, I really try to,” Bokuto said, humming softly.

They watched the owls for a while longer. Athena took off and flew away from the camera towards something behind the trees. 

“Her wingspan is probably almost as long as my arms stretched out. Maybe even as long as Kenma is tall,” Bokuto boasted.

Kuroo laughed. “We should take him sometime,” he said.

“Yeah!”

“If...”

Kuroo trailed off, frowning as he thought about his current predicament. Daishou showing up when he did had really thrown everything for a loop. That, followed by Tendou uncovering Kuroo’s past. Suddenly the worry crept back up on him. 

“We’ll take care of it,” Bokuto said, rubbing his back. 

“I know,” Kuroo said. “I just hate to think that you - and Kenma, fuck Bo, Kenma -”

“Shh, shh,” Bokuto murmured, nuzzling the side of his face. “You know, Kenma’s strong. And he’s smart. Trust him. And me too, but, you know. I mean, he has to deal with you going out into the field - man, he had to watch us fight that crazy animal thing. He probably would’ve figured out the music bit right away.”

Kuroo frowned, not wanting to point out that Kenma could’ve figured the music thing out, since he’d been watching their feed the whole time. Still, he knew Bokuto was right. Didn’t mean it felt right, though.

But he knew a part of him would always see Kenma as the shy, scrawny kid he’d taken care of on the streets when they were young. Sometimes it was hard to see beyond the past to the truth.

A message popped up in the corner of the screen.

Bokuto expanded it. “Hey hey hey, Kageyama. Where’s Tsukki?”

Kageyama scowled, ignoring the quiet huff of laughter from offscreen. “He’s here. Are you guys up? We have some news, and were wondering if we could have a meeting to share.”

“Sure, sure,” Bokuto said. “Ah, give us half an hour? You coming here?”

Nodding abruptly, Kageyama said, “Half an hour. We’ll be there.”

“Thanks,” Bokuto said as the connection closed. “Ah, bye.”

Kuroo laughed. “He’s rather abrupt.”

“Meh,” Bokuto said, turning around. “Hey sleepyheads, you need to get up. We have a meeting in half an hour.”

Kenma grumbled, pulling the cover up over his head. Laughing, Kuroo stood and moved over, tugging it back down. “No, no, you have to get up. We have to go get clothes before the meeting. Come on.”

Reaching down Kuroo brushed the hair out of Kenma’s face, heart clinching as he thought about his lover going out to confront Daishou and his men. Suddenly, fear welled up inside him. What if this was the last morning he got to see Kenma wake up?

Kenma blinked at him, then reached up, touching his cheek. 

“Love you,” Kuroo mouthed, watching Kenma’s eyes widen slightly as he nodded back. 

Fear had no place here. This was just a job, like anything else. And Bokuto was right, Kenma was good.

Shoving the worry to the back of his mind, he tugged Kenma up off the bed. Glancing over at Akaashi and Bokuto, he said, “We’ll see you there.”

Akaashi waved, already rolling off his side of the bed and moving over to the closet. “See you soon.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Akaashi looked around the boardroom. Kageyama and Tsukishima sat opposite Bokuto and him. Kenma was next to Bokuto with Tendou and Semi. Kuroo sat next to Akaashi, followed by Yaku and Lev. Iwaizumi was seated on the other side next to Tsukishima.

“No Oikawa?” Akaashi asked.

Iwaizumi shook his head. “Hinata’s talking to him more about the case. Kunimi wasn’t feeling well, so Kindaichi is taking care of him.”

Kageyama frowned. “Is he alright?”

“Yeah. I think he’s just exhausted.”

“He’s been working hard,” Kuroo said.

They all had, but Akaashi knew not all of them were suffering from injuries like Kunimi’s broken collarbone. Akaashi could relate to the exhaustion though. He didn’t regret a thing about the night before, but he was certainly feeling it now.

He hoped that Kenma was doing alright.

Kuroo leaned over to him. “He heals up fast,” he murmured. “Don’t worry.”

Kenma shot them a suspicious look, and Akaashi glanced down, lips twitching. “Thank you, Kuroo-san.”

“No problem.”

“Alright,” Tsukishima said, giving Akaashi a suspicious glance. “Getting past all the opening remarks, basically, what we have is this. We came across a hideout of some of the Kita executives late last night. Three of them. They’d been poisoned, dead several hours before we got there. One of them appears to be the hacker that faked the warrant for Seijou. One of the last things he did was point us toward Nohebi’s current location.”

“Really?” Lev asked.

“Why didn’t you wake us up!” said Bokuto.

“Please relax,” Tsukishima said. “We needed to check out the intel. From everything we’ve seen, it looks to be legitimate. They’re at a compound out on the plains. We spotted a shape that appears to be the same make and model of the plane that they used to escape the mansion. There are four heat sources in the compound, and we’ve gathered enough partial photographs through the windows to identify at least two of the Nohebi members.”

Akaashi let out a sigh of relief that he hadn’t known he’d be holding. “So what’s the plan?”

“Well,” Kageyama said, “We know that you all want to be a part of the takedown. Hinata and I would like to accompany some of you as the lead force into the compound, with support in the background if necessary.”

Bokuto nodded. “That sounds great,” he said. “Kenma and I will be going, along with Yaku, Lev, and Tendou.”

“I’d like to join too, if you don’t mind,” Iwaizumi said. “I know these guys weren’t the ones who originally tried to frame us, but they certainly did all they could to keep things in place. Plus there’s one in particular I’d like to have a rematch with.”

“So that’s a team of eight?” Akaashi said.

“Yeah. Eight people to take down four fugitives. Hopefully that’ll be enough.”

“It sounds good,” Tsukishima said. “And of course, you know that the objective is to capture, not kill.”

The table was silent a moment. Akaashi glanced around, gaze settling on Kenma. The blond was looking straight at Tsukishima, face serious. Then he shrugged and nodded. “Bring them back alive,” he agreed. “We need Daishou’s testimony on another matter anyways.”

“Oh?” Tsukishima asked, eyebrow raised.

“Has to do with an off-planet matter,” Yaku said. “About an incident that happened in the past.”

“I see.” Tsukishima’s gaze rested on Yaku a moment then he nodded. “Well, just bring them back in one piece if you can. We have a list of charges we’d like to bring on them, starting with illegal smuggling of a controlled lifeform and ending with collusion and fraud. Oh, and murder too, I suppose. Though technically that’s under your jurisdiction.”

Akaashi nodded. “It is. The more we can hold them on, the better, though.”

“Alright then,” Kageyama said. “When will you all be ready to go?”

Bokuto looked around. “Pretty quick, wouldn’t you say?”

“I just need to check in with Oikawa first,” Iwaizumi replied as the others nodded.

“Alright. Well then, go take care of what you need to do. Akaashi can fly us over close to where the Confederation forces are, if that’s ok, and then we can go take care of these bastards once and for all,” Bokuto said, standing up from the table.

Akaashi nodded, finding Kuroo’s hand under the table and giving it a squeeze before standing. “Ah, Tendou - if you have a moment, can I talk with you before we go?”

Tendou glanced over, raising an eyebrow. “Sure. It’ll take us a few minutes to fly out there anyhow, right? I’ll meet you on the bridge.”

“Do you need -” Kuroo murmured.

“No,” said Akaashi, lips curling slightly as he looked over at his new lover. “Go help Bokuto and Kenma get ready. I’ll be fine.”

“Alright.”

Akaashi turned to Bokuto and squeezed his hand. He’d already said some goodbyes in the quiet of his bedroom. Kenma glanced over, nodding at him. 

It was enough. It was good. He was worried, of course. Daishou’s last few taunting words still echoed in his mind, filling it with images of Kenma at Daishou’s nonexistent mercy. But he knew better than to think the shorter man was helpless. 

After all, he’d seen his work firsthand.

He made his way to the bridge and sat down, running his fingers across the controls while setting a course for the coordinates Tsukishima sent him. That part was easy. The hard part was the waiting.

He sat back, fidgeting a bit while waiting for Tendou. The wound on his inner arm was still tender. It was healing up though. 

It was too bad, in a way, that their orders were to capture instead of kill. 

Then again, Daishou deserved something more lasting than a simple bullet to the head.

The door behind Akaashi opened and he turned around.

“You wanted to see me?” Tendou said, walking over and plopping down in a chair near him.

“Yes,” Akaashi said, frowning as he tried to think of how to ask the question that was plaguing him. “Ah. In our conversation earlier -”

“With the other Alephians?”

“Yes,” Akaashi replied. “You implied some things about me that were a bit confusing.”

A grin split Tendou’s face and he nodded. “Ahah, I thought you might ask me about that. Hmm. Ah, well. I guess it would be easiest if I asked you how much you knew about Alephian history?”

Akaashi frowned. “Some,” he admitted. “Not a lot.”

“Well then, let me just start by telling you a little tale to get us oriented. Hmm. Way back, back when people still lived on old Earth, the founders wanted to make the perfect society. One of the things they thought was that there were a lot of things that were important to people - justice, for one, or love. For some it was knowledge, others, beauty. None of these was really more important than any other, but people seem to work best when they are all focused around one driving idea.”

Akaashi nodded. “And so, they made the tribes.”

“Yes. Twelve tribes, each focused on one thing. Truth, memory, knowledge, beauty, love, power, freedom, inquiry, justice, life, wisdom and emptiness. I’m not really sure I get the emptiness one, but hey, it works for them. Each tribe had its own ship, and we all flew together in one happy family across the skies until we came to Aleph, where everyone landed, each tribe getting the same amount of land. Or, well in Eleytheria’s case, water, but hey, it works for them.”

“Eleytheria?”

“Freedom,” Tendou said, shrugging. “You don’t really ever see them off-planet. Hell, you rarely ever see them outside of their territory. They’re, well, different.”

“I see,” Akaashi said, frowning. “I think I’ve only heard of a few of those tribes.”

“Yeah, not everyone is as cool as Anakris,” Tendou said, eyes flashing light yellow as he grinned. “Some of them just prefer to hole up in their own little territory. The Thymoumai for instance - memory - insist on sticking to their caves. I hear they have the most amazing database there though, all of Earth’s knowledge just stored up in crystals. They’re hoarders though. Sometimes they let a few songs and movies out, but that’s about it. Meh, it’s all dusty stuff anyways.”

Akaashi pursed his lips, a bit drawn toward the idea of having access to all of the knowledge of Earth, even if it was hundreds of years old. Then he shook his head. “So what does this have to do with me?”

“Ok, well, you remember I told you about the twelve tribes? And you know that each of our tribes has different enhancements that help us as we strive to work towards our goal? Like we Anakris are very good with computations and data.”

“Yes, that makes sense.”

“Well. It’s not really something we talk a lot about, but only eleven tribes exist today.”

“What?”

Tendou nodded. “People outside Aleph often think that the unaligned people count as the twelfth tribe.”

“People like me, and my father,” Akaashi said.

“Ah, sure, let’s go with that.”

Akaashi frowned, not really comfortable with his answer. It was obviously true though, so he let him continue.

“Well, what really happened was that the first tribe, Alitheia, crash landed upon planetfall. No one knows what happened. Most of the tribes were too busy at first setting their own things up, getting established and making sure there was proper food and shelter. But when people tried reaching out to them, they couldn’t find anyone. Search teams delved into their territory after a while, planning to offer help if it was needed, but all they found was a wreck. To this day, it’s one of the great mysteries.”

Frowning, Akaashi mulled the story over. “Alithea?” he finally asked.

“Truth,” Tendou said.

“Ah.”

Tendou shrugged. “There are some people who say that the loss of the first tribe explains the mess we’re in today. The founders planned the perfect society, but without truth, well. Others would argue that we’ve gotten to the point where we share that task between us. I’m always looking for the truth, for instance. An answer isn’t a good answer if it isn’t a truthful answer. But some people, well.”

“What?” Akaashi asked, curious about the sudden hesitance on Tendou’s part.

“Eh, well, it may just be a story. It’s all just rumors and conjecture,” Tendou said. “But some people say that some people from Alithea survived the crash. They didn’t have a functional tribe, so they made their way out and blended in with the unaligned. Since the tribe wasn’t active, however, they never actively renounced their tribe. Their children wouldn’t’ve even known about it, unless their parents told them. But they’d still be aligned to truth, even without realizing it.”

“But wouldn’t their eyes give them away? Like your yellow, and Kuroo and Kenma’s red.”

Tendou frowned, staring at Akaashi for a moment too long. “They should,” he said, then sighed, looking to the side. “Eh, like I said, it’s just a theory. And my friends and I, well, we like to toss questions around, even if there are no answers. But one of those questions is - if the Alithea were around, what type of enhancements would they have to help them in their search for truth?”

Akaashi frowned, then looked at the controls as he felt a slight bump. They’d landed.

Tendou looked over, then let out a sigh. “Like I said, it’s all just conjecture now. But we can talk about it later. I should probably go meet the others.”

Akaashi nodded, mulling things over in his brain. He wasn’t really sure what to make of Tendou’s story. He’d have to check in with Kuroo and Kenma, see what they thought. Right now, though, it wasn’t important.

Standing, Akaashi motioned Tendou to go in front of him. “After you,” he said.

“Why thank you,” Tendou replied, grinning widely.

“Ah, and please. While you’re out there. Be fair.”

Tendou looked back in surprise, then shrugged. “Eh. Even if it means losing part of the bounty, it’s still better to have the truth, right?”

“Yes,” Akaashi said, not even hesitating.

“Spoken like a true Alithan,” Tendou replied, voice teasing. 

Scowling, Akaashi shook his head. “Just stories, remember? I just happen to value the truth rather highly, that’s all. I get that from my mothers and the family that raised me, not some legendary lost tribe.”

“Perhaps,” Tendou said, laughing as he walked out into the hall. “Perhaps. Ah well, time to go kick some ass.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (can I just say for the record that the tribes and their abilities were plotted out LONNNNG before I ever set eyes on Divergent :P)


	46. Into the Unknown

Bokuto examined the compound through his binoculars. It looked low to the ground, but he knew it was just because of distance. The actual structure was three stories tall, a light brown that matched the surrounding dusty plain. Each story was set in from the one below it, like a wide flat pyramid. 

“Do we know where they are?” Yaku asked.

“Earlier we got heat readings from inside the first floor,” Kageyama said. “There seems to be some difficulty now.”

Bokuto examined the first floor. There were a few windows on the outside, thin and slanted. It was a defensive structure. Why there needed to be a structure like this, he didn’t know. “Who built it anyways?” he asked.

“It’s left over from before the Confederacy came, we’re pretty sure,” Kageyama said. “Fukurodani took it over a couple decades ago though, when they got the contract for Aoba. We don’t have very many details on it.”

Bokuto nodded, handing the binoculars to Iwaizumi. Kenma was talking with his old teammates. Yaku had brought him a pair of gloves that Bokuto didn’t recognize. Kenma had pulled them on, and was now examining them, clenching and unclenching his fists as he nodded to the other man.

Honestly, now that they were here, Bokuto wasn’t sure how he felt about having Kenma with him. The thought made him feel ashamed. Kenma was stronger than him, really, might even be able to beat him in a fight. The fact that he’d probably be just as protective of Akaashi didn’t mitigate things. That he’d be just as protective and worried about Kuroo right now, well. At least he wasn’t playing favorites.

Kenma glanced over and Bokuto looked away, thankful his helmet shielded his eyes from the other’s gaze. 

“Everyone ready?” Kageyama asked.

“Yeah,” Bokuto said, followed by the others. They loaded into a low flat truck and drove to the compound. There wasn’t any use in hiding their approach. Both Fukurodani and the Confederate forces on the planet had it surrounded, so it wasn’t like the others could fly away this time. A separate force was going in to disable their plane. For all intents and purposes, they were trapped.

Snakes in a hole could still bite, though.

Bokuto frowned.

When they got to the compound they piled out of the truck. Kenma was the first at the door, pressing some device to the locking panel and pressing buttons until it opened. Bokuto bounced on his heels, eager to get inside.

“Relax,” Yaku said, looking up at him. 

“I can’t relax,” Bokuto replied.

Shaking his head, the man looked up at him. “You’re as bad as Lev,” he muttered.

“Yaku?” the tall man cried out. “What did you say about me?”

Sighing, Yaku said, “Nothing, idiot.”

It brought a half-hearted smile to Bokuto’s face. Then Kenma opened the door, and they all piled inside. Bokuto looked around, eager to see if they could tell where the others were located.

Only one problem.

“Uh, guys, can you still read us?” Kageyama said.

“Yes. What’s the issue?” said Tsukishima over the comms.

“Something in the walls is interfering with the readings,” Kageyama said. “The heat signature data is all over the map. Probably be easier to just switch it off. At least there are lights.”

Bokuto frowned, and switched the heat sensor data off on his helmet. His vision faded from a strange psychedelic map of colors into normal vision. He hated going in blind. 

“This place is dusty,” Hinata said. “I’m glad we’re wearing helmets. Might sneeze up a storm otherwise.”

“Dumbass,” Kageyama said, moving forward.

Kenma had moved toward one of the exits of the room, opening a door and peering in. “We might be able to use that to our advantage, though,” he said. “For instance, no one has come through here.”

“Eh?” Lev said, moving closer to him. Bokuto followed.

“No footsteps,” Kenma said. “If they haven’t disturbed the dust in a room, it means we can cross it off the search. At least initially. It’s not perfect, but this is a large compound.”

“That makes sense,” Tendou said. 

Kunimi broke in, and a map appeared on the side of Bokuto’s visor. “I’m uploading the floor plans of the compound,” he said. “Was able to find them in the Fukurodani records.”

“You hacked into Fukurodani?” Tsukishima asked, sounding stern.

“Ah, he means that Akaashi-chan forwarded them to him. Right, Akaashi-chan?” Oikawa said.

There was a long moment of silence, and a few hushed murmurs on the comms. Then finally, Akaashi broke in, and said, “He was authorized to obtain the blueprints.”

“I see,” Tsukishima said.

It made Bokuto want to laugh. Kenma was just rolling his eyes at the other’s antics.

“Anyhow,” Kenma said. “We can circumscribe those rooms which we search. It won’t be perfect because they could double back around, but we can also lay down cameras as we go. They’ll be tripped by motion if anyone follows us. Right, Shouyou?”

“Right!” Hinata said, unloading a case from his back. “Here, Iwaizumi, why don’t you take these and I’ll take the rest?”

Bokuto let them figure it out amongst themselves. He moved forward, wanting to begin the search. Strangely enough Yaku came with him. He expected the other man to stick close to Lev, but Lev was being Kenma’s shadow at the moment. Bokuto found he didn’t really mind. Yaku was quiet and competent, and right now that was just what he needed.

He was full of a nervous energy and thoughts that kept bubbling over each other. Most of it was anger. He was so unused to being angry. But Daishou and the others had hurt Akaashi. That wasn’t an easy thing to forget.

They all searched around on the first floor, examining the spaces where Nohebi had evidently been living. No one was there. Eventually they met up in a central space, looking at the stairs that led up to the next floor and down into a lower area.

“Do you think they’re more likely to be upstairs or down?” Iwaizumi asked.

Bokuto frowned, thinking it over.

“Well,” Kenma said finally, “they escaped using aircraft earlier, and the other floors are certainly spacious enough. But they might also know that we’re watching them.”

“Be just like a snake to go to ground,” Yaku spit out.

“True,” Bokuto said, frowning. He looked at the stairs going up and down. Both looked like they’d been recently used. 

“I’d guess they probably went down,” Tendou said, “but I could be wrong. Really, we’ll probably have to check them both out.”

Frowning, Kenma nodded. “We need to split up,” he said. “I’ll go with Kageyama and Hinata and check downstairs. Ah -”

“Take Lev too,” Yaku said. “I’ll stay with Bokuto and the rest, and we’ll check upstairs as quick as we can.”

Bokuto opened his mouth, wanting to protest. But Kenma was nodding, and shooting him an unreadable glance. Either way, one of them would be the first to find Daishou. That was better than just leaving it for the others to find.

“Be safe,” Bokuto finally said, frowning.

Kenma nodded.

“We’ll do our best!” Hinata said, moving over to the stairs and peering down.

“Dumbass,” Kageyama said, moving up to him and nudging in front a bit. Bokuto couldn’t tell if it was protective or competitive.

Suddenly Bokuto wondered if the shrimp’s friends got as worried about him as Bokuto and Kuroo got about Kenma. The thought was amusing. Mainly because he’d seen Hinata fight.

He’d also seen Iwaizumi’s face after Kenma got through with him.

Maybe he didn’t have anything to worry about.

Then he thought of the deathly stillness of Akaashi lying on a marble floor in a pool of his own blood, and the worry returned anew.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Kenma was grateful to Yaku. Not that he didn’t want to be with Bokuto. A part of him really did. But he was conflicted. If he ran into Daishou right now -

Thoughts of what he wanted to do to the other man ran through his brain. None were things he necessarily wanted Bokuto watching. Not that he thought the man was innocent.

It was more that he didn’t want Bokuto to see the full extent of what he was capable of.

Frowning he let Lev lead the way down the stairs, followed by Hinata and Kageyama.

It had been a long time since he’d been paired up with Lev. Back when the tall man had first joined Nekoma, Nekomata had insisted that Kenma spend time with him. He’d never considered himself a trainer, but Lev had needed it. At times Kenma had wondered if it was a grand conspiracy to keep him out of the combat zones. That year, Kenma was pretty sure that Kuroo had spent more time with Kai than him, at least in battle. His only consolation was that Yaku had been stuck at home more often as well, training with Nekomata to learn how to lead the group. 

Lev had been a handful even back then, always insisting that he’d be the best warrior Nekoma had ever seen. For a while, Kenma had just hoped that Lev wouldn’t wind up shooting himself in the foot. He’d eventually figured out how to work with the other guy, and he and Lev made a decent team. 

That didn’t make Lev any less annoying, but at least Kenma wasn’t worried about Lev ending up as nothing more than a bloodstain on the battlefield. Knowing that he’d saved Yaku with his quick reflexes made Kenma even more inclined to trust him.

When they reached the first floor, the four of them split up to check and see if any of the exits had been disturbed. 

“Nothing here,” Kageyama said.

“Here either,” said Hinata.

“Next floor then,” Kenma murmured, and they continued down. 

It was the fourth floor underground before they finally got sight of a trail leading off to the side. 

“Can you still read us?” Kenma asked. The walls were thick. He hoped that the signal from their suits would connect with the people up top.

“Loud and clear,” Akaashi replied.

“Good.”

They wandered down the maze of corridors. At least the halls and rooms were well lit. The path opened up on a room full of pipes. They wove in strange patterns from the ceiling to the floor, some thick, some thin. A thin mist hissed from holes in the ceiling, making it hard to listen for movement.

Kenma looked around. He really wished that the heat sensors worked. There were too many blind corners here. Too many places for people to hide. He glanced around as they inched through the room, trying to listen for sounds below the high-pitched sprays. 

When they got about halfway through the room they could see an exit on the other side. Kenma let out a soft breath in relief. He didn’t like this room. Something felt off. Something felt very very wrong.

He bent forward, glancing at a yellow tag around one of the pipes. Suddenly, he felt something hit the back of his helmet and glance off. 

“Look out!” Hinata yelled. 

Lev tugged Kenma back behind a stand of pipes. Looking over, Kenma saw that the pipes next to his head were suddenly spraying hot steam into the air, clouding the front of his visor.

“What was that?” Kageyama said, leaning towards Kenma.

“I don’t know. Lev, what do you see?” Kenma asked, leaning his head forward. Hopefully it was nothing.

“Hello, Kenma,” said a low voice in the room. “So nice of you to join me.”

Daishou. That was Daishou.

“I don’t - Kenma-san, it looks like -”

All of a sudden, a familiar smell hit Kenma’s nose, and he crinkled it up. 

“Acid,” Kenma said, frowning. Then he glanced at the pipe. Sure enough, it was melting away. 

Kenma’s first instinct was to tear his helmet off and throw it away. That would just leave him more exposed though.

“You like it?” Daishou said, shooting and hitting the mass of pipes between them. “Kuroo told me about your little encounter with these, out on one of your missions. He was always going on about how the scars didn’t make you any less valuable. Even said that about some of mine, though yours, I’ve heard, are much more extensive. Shall we see if his opinion still holds if the acid eats off half your face?”

“Kenma!” Kuroo yelled into the comm. 

“Just kidding, of course,” Daishou said. “Wouldn’t want to ruin your good looks, after all. Well, probably.”

“We’re coming,” Bokuto said.

If they came though, if the others were out there - it could be a trap.

Who was he kidding. This whole thing was a trap and he knew it. 

But then again, he was good with traps.

“It should be alright, Lev,” Kenma murmured. “The acid may eat through, but I’ve got some time. I’ll have advance warning. More important is -

“Ack,” Kageyama said, looking down at his leg.

“Oh, did that one score?” Daishou yelled.

Kenma glanced down. There was a hole in the pipes about thigh-high on Kageyama. Daishou had aimed their on purpose.

“It doesn’t hurt,” Kageyama said. “Maybe the suit will protect me.”

Wishful thinking. Kenma knew better though.

“He’s in between us and the way back,” Kenma said. “See if any of these pipes can give you some water, that might help slow it down. Really though, you’re going to need a powerful alkaline solution. Water doesn’t count.”

He looked at Hinata and sucked in a breath. His friend looked worried as hell. He didn’t blame him. Time was of the essence. 

“Ok,” Kenma said, glancing over at the far door. “Here’s the plan. Hinata, you need to get Kageyama back up to the surface so that they can treat it before it eats through his suit. Hopefully. I’ll distract him. Lev, you make sure they get out properly.”

“What?” Lev said. “Distract?”

Another splat hit the pipes between them. “Ah, only had a few of those, unfortunately,” Daishou said. “I’m sure once I have you we can try even more fun things though.”

So insane. 

Kenma nodded at Lev, hoping this wouldn’t be difficult. Then Kageyama cried out in pain. Lev turned to him, distressed. That was his chance.

Daishou wanted him. Daishou would follow him and leave the others alone.

At least, that was his hope as he dove out from behind the pipes and started running for the exit.


	47. The Snake and The Kitty Cat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tw: threats of noncon stuff (nothing explicit)

“Damnit, Kenma!” Kuroo yelled, jumping up from his chair. He turned to look at Akaashi. “I’ve got to go out there.”

He turned to look at Semi, barely hearing Bokuto yell asking about what was going on.

Semi looked like he was more than willing to do whatever it took to keep Kuroo on the ship. 

“I need you here,” Akaashi murmured to Kuroo, then opened his mic. “Bokuto, Daishou is on the lower level. Kageyama has been hit with acid, and they’re coming up to try and keep it from spreading. Kenma drew Daishou away from the others, but he’ll need more backup.

Turning with a growl Kuroo opened his mic and said, “Lev, get your ass in there after Kenma. Hinata can take care of Kageyama.”

“Yes sir!” Lev said, right as Hinata said, “We’ll be fine, just go, Lev.”

Tense, Kuroo watched Kenma’s feed. He was running at a fast clip. Kuroo knew that Kenma could outrun Daishou, wasn’t worried about that - and it looked like Kenma was deliberately going through spaces that hadn’t been disturbed, kicking up dust as he went. Unfortunately, that also meant that his trail was easy to see.

“Get out of there, Kenma,” Kuroo muttered. “Yeah, that’s it, ok. Ok I see what you’re doing. Just keep curving around, go back to the stairs and lead him into Bokuto and the others - oh. Shit.”

The map was wrong. 

Kenma came face to face with a passage that dead-ended right where a hallway was supposed to be. He paused for a moment, turning his head. Kuroo frowned as the feed cut in and out for a moment. Then Kenma was running again, following the only path available this time. It seemed to lead to a large room. Storage room, if the map was to be believed. 

The feed cut out again, flickering.

“Kenma? Kenma, what’s wrong?” Kuroo said.

“Damnit - it’s the acid - I’m going for that room, tell Yaku -”

Then the feed went dark. 

“What the - dammit -” Kuroo said, looking at Akaashi with fear in his eyes. “He’s -”

Akaashi just nodded. “Lost all of his helmet data. Suit data is still sending bio signs, but I don’t have a location. Lev is going after him but -”

Kuroo switched the feed over to Lev. Worry for Kenma echoed in the back of his mind, but he knew he had to do what he could to help guide the team on the ground.

The tall man was confronted by two others, both fully suited up with helmets. 

“Hey!” the shorter of the two. “We meet again.”

“I think that’s the one they called Sakijima,” Akaashi murmured. “The taller one is either Hiroo or Kuguri. They’re the ones who kidnapped me.”

Lev growled lowly, heartbeat increasing. 

“Human?” Kuroo asked. 

“Yes.”

Every minute stretched out longer and longer in his mind. Kenma was in there. Kenma was alive, he knew that much from the biometric readouts. Kenma’s heart rate was elevated, but not too much. Any minute now, Daishou could get Kenma and - 

He couldn’t think like this.

“Lev, Bokuto’s on his way.” Kuroo said. “If you can hold them off five minutes -”

“Three minutes,” Bokuto growled. “We’re coming down the stairs now.”

“They can help. Got it?”

Lev gave a slight nod and then launched himself at Sakijima.

It was interesting to see him fight from this angle. Kuroo wished he could see the whole thing. He found himself constantly concerned about the person that Lev wasn’t facing. That concern faded a bit as the fight wore on, Lev landing blows and bending out of the range hits. 

“He’s doing better this time,” Akaashi murmured.

“Oh?” Kuroo said.

Akaashi nodded. “Though last time, Hiroo surprised him.”

“He shouldn’t’ve been surprised,” Kuroo said, frowning. Still, he felt a certain sense of pride as the fight wore on. The other two were holding their own, but for a two on one fight, Lev was doing just fine.

Then Bokuto and the others burst into the scene.

“You two - stay and help Lev,” Yaku said. “Tendou and I will go find Kenma.”

Bokuto turned to Yaku, and for a moment Kuroo thought he was going to protest. Hell, Kuroo knew he would’ve protested. Yaku might be the heir apparent to Nekoma, but Kuroo had still always had final say on the battlefield.

Bokuto just nodded, however, launching himself into the fight.

Kuroo turned his attention to Yaku’s feed, trusting that Bokuto and Iwaizumi added to Lev were more than enough to take down two humans.

“Found a helmet,” Yaku said, picking it up. It was Kenma’s. The back was eaten away by acid, melted wiring and circuitry exposing a hole that went straight through. If the acid had reached Kenma’s head -

But no. He probably took it off as soon as the electronics stopped working. 

Oh shit. That meant he was in there exposed, no protection for his head. If Daishou had more acid -

Akaashi reached over and grabbed Kuroo’s hand, squeezing tight. “Breathe,” he said. “Breathe, Kuroo.”

Kuroo looked at him wildly, locking eyes with him. Akaashi’s eyes flashed yellow as he squeezed Kuroo’s hand, the rhythm reminding Kuroo to breath in turn. “But he’s -”

“Strong,” Akaashi said. 

“Yeah,” Kuroo whispered back, trying to fight the terror gripping his heart. 

“Found him,” Yaku murmured, and Kuroo turned back to the screen.

The room they were in was filled with boxes. Kenma was crouched on one, partially hidden behind another metal box. Daishou standing a few feet away below him, weapon trained on the smaller man. The grin on Daishou’s face made Kuroo’s stomach twist.

The fear on Kenma’s face made his heart go cold. Why didn’t he shoot back? Was he out of ammo? There were bullet holes and spent casings all over the place. What was wrong? Was Kenma so terrified that he’d messed up his aim? He had always hated firearms.

Kuroo wanted to be there, reached out to touch the screen, squeezing Akaashi’s hand tight. 

“Go, go, go,” Kuroo murmured, patience nonexistent.

Yaku reached out an arm as Tendou started to move forward.

“Yaku?” Kuroo said. “What are you -”

“Just wait a moment.”

“I don’t -”

“No,” Akaashi said softly. “He’s right.”

“What?” Kuroo asked, looking at Akaashi in confusion.

~~~~~~

“Operation Killdeer,” Yaku said.

Akaashi hadn’t ever heard of it, but evidently Kuroo had.

“What? No. No no no, it’s too dangerous Yaku. Go get in there,” Kuroo said, hand tightening around Akaashi’s fingers as he leaned forward.

“It’s what he wanted,” Yaku said calmly. “If this situation came up - and I think he was hoping it did - he said for me to hold back until he gives the signal.”

“No,” Kuroo said. “No fucking way. This could turn around in a second. If Daishou gets off a lucky shot -”

“Kenma said Daishou doesn’t want to kill him. He wants to scare him. And capture him alive, if he can.”

“Are you two insane?” Kuroo said, letting go of Akaashi’s hand to press both palms against the surface of the counter in front of him. “Daishou’s willing to do anything! Go get him!”

“Sorry Kuroo, it’s not your call,” Yaku said. “Now shut up or I’ll mute you. We need to hear this.”

Akaashi reached over again, resting his hand on Kuroo’s arm. He couldn’t stop the other one from being tense, but he could try. He felt a bit guilty that he was almost glad that Kuroo was upset.

It helped distract him from the anxiety that spiked upon seeing Daishou again.

“Come on out, little kitty,” Daishou said, grin wide as he waved his gun. “I won’t hurt you, I promise. Well. I won’t kill you, at least. Not right away.”

Kenma visibly shuddered at that. “I don’t believe you,” he said, voice small enough that Akaashi had to strain to hear it. “You’d do anything to hurt Kuroo.”

“You wound me,” Daishou said. “Besides, that’s not exactly true.”

“It isn’t?”

“Ah, no, not really.”

Kenma crouched down lower, pressing himself against the box in front of him. From this angle, Akaashi could see the fear on his face drop away into the blond’s normal stoic expression. “You want him.”

“Yes! You get it,” Daishou said, eyes narrowing. “And see, if I kill you, then there’s no going back. He really does love you, after all.”

Akaashi glanced over at Kuroo, squeezing his hand on the other’s arm. He looked awful, eyes full of longing as he stared at the screen.

“I do,” Kuroo murmured. “I - Akaashi, if he -”

“I know,” Akaashi said. He did. He felt the same way about Bokuto, and right now, the thought of Kenma hurt or injured made him want to reach through the screen and rip Daishou’s head off. 

He understood what Kenma was doing, however.

Didn’t mean he had to like it.

“I love him too,” Kenma said.

“I love him too,” Daishou mimicked. “Is that really it? Maybe you just want him too. Maybe you’ve just figured out a better way to stay by his side.”

Kenma rested his head against the box. “Maybe you’re right,” he finally said.

“He’s not. He’s not right, Kenma. Don’t listen to him.”

Akaashi moved to pat his back, glancing around. He hated that everyone else was in there watching this moment. Oikawa at least was looking away, and Semi appeared to be unaffected. Kunimi and Kindaichi weren’t paying attention either. 

At least Kuroo had muted his microphone.

It made sense, since the only person he wanted to hear his words was currently disconnected from all of them.

“Is that why you did it?” Kenma asked.

“Is that why I did wh - oh, that,” Daishou said, tapping his gun thoughtfully against his chin. “Well, yes.”

“I asked him you know,” Kenma said. “About what you said. About you and him -”

“Fucking?” Daishou asked. The grin that crossed his face at that was truly disturbing. “Well, mainly me fucking him. It was nice. He has a great ass. You look like you prefer his dick though.”

Kenma drew in a shuddering breath, then said, “Yes.”

Kuroo froze, glanced over at Akaashi, and then made an odd face. “He’s lying.”

Akaashi’s lips twitched. “Yes, Kuroo-san.”

Kuroo frowned at the name, but he seemed marginally more relaxed.

“Don’t worry,” Daishou crooned. “I know how to show you a good time too. We’ll have lots of fun together, you and I. If you’re good, I won’t even share you.”

Kenma gave a little shuddering gasp. Akaashi watched him look down at one of his hands, flexing and unflexing his fingers. Then he turned his head and looked straight at Yaku as he spoke the next words. “How did you do it? How did you - I can’t believe he ever let you -”

“You mean sex, kitty cat?” Daishou said, laughing. “Well you see, when a boy has a mighty need - no wait. That’s not what you mean, is it.”

“No,” Kenma said. “The bombing on Yaku and Lev. The thing that made us lose everything.”

“Well to be fair, it wasn’t supposed to make you lose everything,” Daishou said. “If he hadn't have been so stubborn, we’d all be one big happy family by now. I even have a friend who’d like you too. He likes small cute things.”

“Please!” Kenma said, so out of character Akaashi couldn’t help but wince. “I need to know. I mean, I set up his security myself.”

“Well, you failed then, Kennnnma.”

“I know,” said Kenma, misery in his voice. “I know, I just need to know.”

“Fine then,” Daishou said, huffing. “It wasn’t that hard. I just had to watch him for a few weeks. Hidden cameras helped with the passwords, helped me figure out where to go. Cracking the deeper layers was a bit tricky, but the surface stuff was easy. I just slipped him a little something, fucked him senseless, and used his body for everything I needed with no one the wiser.”

Kuroo hung his head, and Akaashi rubbed his back.

“I didn’t know he drugged me,” Kuroo murmured. “I mean, I thought I was just drunk. I thought all this time that's why I didn’t remember. How could I have let him - Fuck, Akaashi, how could I have been so stupid -”

“Shh, shh,” Akaashi said, feeling uncertain. If this was Bokuto, he’d know how to deal. Then again, most of Bokuto’s mood swings had only a tentative basis in reality. What Kuroo was dealing with went deeper.

But the’d have time to heal it. All four of them would work on making things better.

Right now they just had to catch the bastard that had caused it.

Well, Kenma needed to. So far, it seemed like he was doing a good job at catching the guy with his own hubris. He was being patient, too. Akaashi wasn’t sure he would’ve been able to be quite this calm. It was only on the outside though. His biometrics reflected a far different story, elevated heart rate and spiking adrenaline. 

The only way Kenma showed it was by narrowing his eyes and tightening his hands into fists. “He didn’t know a thing about it, did he,” Kenma said, voice layered with mournful regret.

“Is that what he told you?” Daishou said. “Hah. Well he’s right. Poor bastard woke up the next morning and had breakfast with me like any other day. Acted like he wasn’t leaving me for you.”

Akaashi shivered at the depths of hate in the other’s last few words.

“But now,” Daishou continued, voice brightening, “I’ll have you, so it’ll only be a matter of time before the three of us will be all together.”

Kenma turned his head and looked at Yaku, raising an eyebrow in question.

“Is that enough?” Yaku said.

“Yes,” Tendou replied, voice tense. “I think that’ll do. Honest confession, not under duress.”

“Good,” Yaku said, nodding. Kenma smirked, and coiled his body, hands flat near the base of the box he was hidden behind.

Daishou was still talking. “Maybe I’ll addict you to something,” he mused. “Make you dependant. Not like you’ll need your - what the!”

The box flew threw the air at Daishou and he shot at it reflexively, trying to turn to avoid it. It hit his arm and he fell to the ground, gun skittering away. “Ow!”

Kenma jumped down, stalking towards Daishou, hands extended. The gloves could be seen better now. Each fingertip was pointed and sharp, like claws. “I won’t need what, again?” Kenma asked, smile tight. 

Then he pounced.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A killdeer is a bird that nests on the ground, and then when a predator gets near, will run away and flop around on the ground like it has a broken wing, gradually drawing the predator away from the nest and calling out in distress, never letting the predator get too close. Once it's far enough away from the nest it'll take off into the air.


	48. Ferocious Dancing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah, fighting, violence, blood, etc.

Damn, it felt good to hit someone.

As Bokuto’s fist connected perfectly with the center of Sakijima’s chest he didn’t really care that the other man was smaller than him. He only cared that this was one of the people who had taken Akaashi, held him against his will, and allowed him to almost die.

There was a clang as the man’s helmet hit the concrete floor, and Iwaizumi was on him in an instant, wrenching his hands behind his back. Sakijima cried out and then turned to look at his partner. 

Bokuto turned, but the man was already scrambling, running away through a side exit. “Damnit!” Bokuto shouted. “Lev -”

“Got it,” Lev said, sprinting after him.

“I’m going to go - Kenma -” Bokuto said.

“I’ve got him,” Iwaizumi said, hauling Sakijima up off the floor and ignoring the struggling of the other man. “I’ll take him up top. You get the others.”

Bokuto made a sound of assent and started down the hallway that Yaku and Tendou had followed. He was passing through a low dark room when a barrel suddenly tipped over in front of him.

“You know,” said a low voice, “I normally try not to get too involved in these things, but considering you’ve taken one of my teammates hostage....”

A tall, gangly man walked out from behind the barrel. He had messy light-brown hair and was wearing body armor but no helmet.

“That’s Kuguri,” Akaashi said to Bokuto through his helmet. “So the one Lev’s going after must be HIroo.”

“Was,” Lev said, voice forlorn. “I think he lost me. I’ll keep looking, though.”

Frowning, Bokuto focused on the man in front of him. “Taking someone hostage is what you guys did,” he said. “We’re here to arrest you all for your crimes.”

Kuguri fell into a crouch coming around closer to Bokuto. “Crimes?” he said, tossing his head to the side. “What crimes? Everything we did was under contract.”

Bokuto bristled. “Kidnapping Akaashi? Killing people? Helping people get away with - that’s bullshit.”

Shrugging, Kuguri watched him. “All’s fair in love and war, right?”

“This isn’t war!” Bokuto shouted, jumping at him with a fist at the ready. It wasn’t love either. It was obsession, it was wrong, it had almost killed Akaashi and had torn Kuroo to pieces inside and now Kenma was at risk.

But at least he could do something about it this time.

His punch missed as Kuguri shied away, throwing a punch of his own. It connected with Bokuto’s shoulder but he didn’t even feel it. He was high on adrenaline and rage. Pain wasn’t something he cared about at the moment.

Kuguri was faster than him but not as strong. Not nearly as fast as Kuroo. The sound of commentary in his ears made Bokuto impatient to get to Kenma, however. He pressed Kuguri harder, driving him back towards the wall. The man kept turning away, eyes widening as he realized he was losing. 

The thought seemed to spur the other man on. He twisted out and past Bokuto, eyes focused as they circled each other. Speed drove the other man’s punches, and more than once they connected with Bokuto’s stomach. He didn’t care. Pain was nothing, and Bokuto’s fist connected with the side of Kuguri’s head, making him wobble slightly as he backed away.

Bokuto could feel his breath coming in pants, feel the sweat collecting on the inside of his suit. It was affecting Kuguri was well, who brushed his dark hair out of his eyes. Bokuto wasn’t sure if he was happy for the protection of his helmet or not. It was hot, so hot, but he had a job to do. Ducking a punch flew by him, Bokuto threw himself headfirst into the other man’s stomach. Kuguri grunted and twisted scrambling to get away as Bouto grabbed his arm. 

Not this time.

Tightening his hold on the other man’s wrist Bokuto twisted it behind him, the threat clear. “I will break it,” he said. “Resist and I’ll be happy to. It would be a good start on the payback you deserve for what you all did to Akaashi.”

Kuguri struggled a bit, one arm trapped between his chest and the floor as he tried to push up. “You know him then,” he muttered, crying out as Bokuto pulled his arm higher up the middle of his back.

“You could say that,” Bokuto said. “And nothing they’ll do to you in the system will ever be enough for what you did.”

Some of the fight seemed to go out of Kuguri at that. He rested his forehead against the floor, barely resisting as Bokuto pulled him up and strapped his hands behind him. 

“Come on,” Bokuto said, shoving him forward. “I’d take you up top, but there are too many snakes down here as is. Want to make sure you’re all rounded up. Think Daishou’s about to get what’s coming to him.”

Kuguri stiffened at that but was docile enough as they walked down the hall and into the open room, going over by Yaku and Tendou.

Bokuto whistled as he looked out into the open area. “I knew I didn’t need to worry,” he said, faint awe coloring his voice as he took off his too-hot helmet.

Daishou and Kenma were fighting, but Bokuto wasn’t really sure it could properly be called a fight. It looked more like a slow bloodletting. Daishou would dance away and Kenma would dart in, fingers curving against his body in ways that had the other man twisting in pain. 

Giving a soft huff Kuguri tried to move forward, but Bokuto held his shoulder tight, leaning close. 

“Did you know about the animal you left with Akaashi?” he murmured. “Daishou deserves this.”

“No one deserves this,” Kuguri said, turning to look at him.

“If the tables were turned,” Bokuto murmured, watching as Kenma’s hand slid deceptively soft against Daishou’s face, “do you think he’d show mercy to Kenma? From what I heard, what he had planned was much much worse.”

Kuguri turned away at that, making strange clicking sounds with his tongue. Probably just a cultural thing, Bokuto thought. He just smirked and turned again to watch the fight.

~~~~~

Oh, how Kenma had missed his gloves. They were perfect for what he was doing now. Honestly, he couldn’t remember ever using them on someone more deserving of harm.

It was justice, and the knowledge of it sang through his veins. Justice for every word, every threat, every moment when Kuroo doubted himself. Every day, every memory, every nightmare. It was justice, and it wasn’t. A part of him knew that. A part of him knew it was revenge, that nothing he was doing would actually set things right, but that wasn’t the part of him in control right now.

Even that part of him didn’t want to stop.

Daishou was slowing now. He looked over with wild eyes, and Kenma followed his gaze, lips pulled back from his teeth. “I bet we have your other friends in custody too,” Kenma said, slapping a hand against Daishou’s chest and curling his fingers as the man staggered back. 

Breath burning in his chest, Kenma decided it was about time to end this. He could feel fatigue creeping up on him.

He still wanted to see defeat in Daishou’s eyes.

Kicking out Kenma hit one of Daishou’s knees, drinking in the other man’s cries as he fell to the floor. It was too easy. It was too much. Kenma knelt on top of him, one hand curling into his shoulder and the other loosely holding his neck.

He stared down into Daishou’s eyes. He wondered if the man had ever thought about having Kenma on top of him. From the things that had been spilling out of his mouth earlier, he probably had. He’d probably had Kuroo on top of him before, innocent of the darkness festering in his reptile heart. It made Kenma want to tighten his hold on the other man’s neck until that heart stopped beating.

It wasn’t like the universe would be worse off with Daishou gone.

The hand on Daishou’s shoulder tightened instead, claws digging into the muscle there. Daishou gurgled a soft cry at that, looking away. Kenma wanted more, though. The way Daishou’s mouth curled up into a tight grin made him stiffen, though, shaking the man’s shoulder.

A loud cry rang out in the room.

It wasn’t Daishou’s voice.

Whipping his head around Kenma hissed, rearing back in surprise. Bokuto had fallen to the ground, convulsing, with Tendou kneeling at his side. Yaku was yelling at Daishou’s teammate, who stared back with a bored and almost haughty look.

A door on the other end of the room crashed open and Kenma whipped his head around, seeing another stranger there.

Daishou started to laugh. It was high-pitched and just a tad hysterical. It made Kenma want to shut him up for good.

“Let him go,” said a man’s voice.

Kenma looked back over at Bokuto. It was the prisoner there who had spoken, hands still cuffed behind his back.

“Nice job, Kuguri,” Daishou wheezed. “Always knew you’d pull it out in the end. And by it, should I say Nagini?”

“Buttercup,” the man called Kuguri said, seemingly unaffected by the gasping cries Bokuto was making. “Touch me and she’ll probably get you as well.”

Narrowing his eyes Kenma saw a snake half-way out of Kuguri’s top, slowly slithering around his neck. The sight made his hands go still.

It wouldn’t hurt him, or Yaku. Tendou either. Not much, anyhow. They were all Alephians.

But Bokuto was human.

“It seems,” Daishou murmured, amusement in his voice, “that your friend over there is one of those who has a bad reaction to our dear little Nagini.”

Kenma glared down at him, wanting to deepen the lines he’d already carved down Daishou’s cheek.

“I have the antidote,” Kuguri said. “But I also have other poisons on me. They’re all unmarked, so if you search me, you won’t know which is which. Let us all go with Hiroo, and I’ll toss it to you. Better make up your mind quick though.”

Really, it wasn’t a choice at all. Kenma started to sit back, hands uncurling from around Daishou’s body. One of the other man’s hands came up to touch his thigh and Kenma lashed out, leaving lines of dark red down the back of his hand.

“He said to let you go,” Kenma hissed. “Never said anything about letting you go whole.”

Daishou’s laugh was bitter as he held his hand to his body, slowly getting up.

“How do we know you’ll give us the right antidote?” Yaku asked.

A slight grimace of pain crossed Kuguri’s face. “You still have Sakijima,” he said, and Daishou sucked in a breath.

It was good enough for Kenma. “Cut him loose,” he said, stepping back. He watched as Daishou ran to the man at the door, Kuguri following after searching for something in one of his pockets. Kenma ran towards him, catching a small tube Kuguri threw at him as they passed through the door.

Tendou was on his feet going after them, Yaku close behind. Kenma raced to kneel next to Bokuto, hand on his over-hot bare skin. Tendou had loosened his top, unzipping it to try, maybe trying to make it easier for Bokuto to breathe.

It didn’t seem to be helping.

Kenma stared at the tube in his hand. It was unlabeled, with a cap on one end and a button on the other. He wondered about trusting it. He was terrified suddenly that it would just be more poison.

Bokuto was starting to turn blue, back arching off the ground, face contorted in pain.

There was no time.

Kenma twisted the lid off the tube. There was a circular skin-guard there with a needle nestled behind the plastic. Fumbling he pressed the end against Bokuto’s chest over his heart and depressed the button on the end, hearing the tell-tale click of an extended needle.

Then he held his breath and waited.

For a moment it didn’t look like anything was happening. Then Bokuto sucked in a ragged breath. Kenma exhaled, watching as the color on Bokuto’s face changed from blue to red and then back to a more normal color.

There was a loud boom near the other end of the room and Tendou and Yaku returned. Tendou was coughing.

“They’re gone,” Yaku said, voice bitter. “Blew the tunnel behind them.”

“I would’ve done the same thing,” Kenma replied, pulling his gloves off so he could safely touch Bokuto’s bare skin.

His eyes were still closed, but he was breathing better now, body relaxing from its earlier pain. Kenma was torn between relief that the antidote had worked and worry that it was just another trick. All these snakes and their tricks.

Slowly, Bokuto’s eyes fluttered open. “Did we win?” he asked, eyes focusing on Kenma.

Bowing his head Kenma sighed. “The snakes got away,” he muttered. “But at least you’re safe.”

“Slippery bastards,” Bokuto said, glancing up at Tendou and Yaku. “Well, we’ll get them. Maybe the others will pick them up.”

Yaku knelt down near them, feeling Bokuto’s pulse. “At least we got the confession,” he muttered. “That’ll make things easier.”

“True,” Kenma said, brushing Bokuto’s hair back from his face.

“And you kicked his ass, kitten,” Bokuto muttered, eyes looking a bit hazy as he stared at Kenma. “Always knew you had it in you.”

Kenma chuckled softly, worry thrumming through him. “We need to get him up top. Make sure he’s alright.”

Just then, Lev came in through the doorway. “Sorry, Yaku-san, Kenma-san,” he said, face mournful. “I lost the other guy - oh. Bokuto-san? Are you alright?”

Kenma exchanged glances with Yaku, then looked at Lev.

“Carry him,” he said, feeling Yaku catch his shoulder as he tried to stand. The fight had taken a lot out of him.

They always did.

“Yes sir, Kenma-san,” Lev said, coming over and helping Bokuto up. Tendou helped, and the three of them slowly limped back to the hallway and toward the stairs.

“I can help you walk too, if you need,” Yaku murmured.

Kenma glanced over at him, sighing. “Aren’t you the one with the injured ankle?” he muttered.

Yaku shrugged. "It’s basically fine,” he said, throwing an arm around Kenma’s waist. “And I know how you get after a show like that.”

“Weak,” Kenma spat out, following the others into the hall.

“Never,” Yaku replied, squeezing his waist. “It’ll be ok, you know. We’ll find them. Track them down. One of them is already in custody. Even if you’re not the one who gets to collar them, we’ll still get them, and they’ll never be able to hurt Kuroo again.”

Kenma nodded, frown on his face, head starting to ache from the exertion. “Yeah.”

“And one thing’s for sure,” Yaku murmured. “He’ll never think of you as some weak little thing again.”

Snorting, Kenma said, “Too bad, really. It’s always easier if they don’t know it’s coming.”

Yaku smiled. “I know exactly what you mean.”


	49. What Really Matters

Bokuto’s eyes widened as Akaashi strode down the ramp toward him. “Ok, before you say anything Akaashi, just let me explain - mmmph!”

Akaashi didn’t care about explanations. He didn’t care about witnesses. All he cared about at that moment was holding onto his beloved and kissing him senseless. He was so tired. Tired of all the danger, tired of almost losing the man he loved, tired of having to watch him go into danger in places where Akaashi could do nothing.

But Bokuto was leaning against him too much, hands loose on his waist. Akaashi pulled back, frowning at the paleness in his face. “I thought the antivenom -”

The weight of Bokuto falling into his arms stopped Akaashi from saying anything. He glanced over to where Kuroo was checking on Kenma and then to Lev, who was making little noises of distress, hovering like he wasn’t quite sure what to do.

“We need to get him into the medbay,” Akaashi said. 

Kenma looked over with alarm in his eyes. Akaashi let Lev take Bokuto from him, turning to hurry and lead the way. He went to the screen in the medbay, hands shaking as he tried to pull up the information on the snake venom.

“Here,” Tendou said, gently pushing him to the side and pulling up the necessary information.

“I have the antivenom,” Kenma murmured. “We can analyze it. See what Kuguri gave us to give to him.”

Akaashi stepped back, moving over to Bokuto. Yaku was hooking him up, running tests on his vital signs.

“His pulse is good. Fever, low blood pressure, these numbers are a bit strange,” Yaku said.

“Strange?” said Kuroo. “Strange isn’t medical terminology, Morisuke -”

“So sue me, I’m not a doctor.”

Akaashi ignored them, just holding Bokuto’s hand. He rubbed his fingers along the calloused skin, feeling a tremor that shouldn’t be there. Bokuto shouldn’t be here. He should be safe, and whole, and healthy.

“Ah, got the results,” Tendou said.

Immediately Akaashi turned to him, waiting for the news. Kenma, he noted, looked especially nervous. It made Akaashi’s heart go out to him, especially when the smaller man turned and looked at him with wide eyes. 

Did Kenma blame himself? Was he berating himself for giving Bokuto the antivenom even though it was untested?

It made Akaashi want to protect him, reassure him. He would’ve made the same choice as Kenma. They’d been forced into an untenable position.

Hopefully Bokuto wouldn’t be paying the consequences for his choice.

“Ok, I see what happened,” Tendou murmured. “Looks like there was a stimulant in the antivenom. Probably in there to make sure it spread through the body. It probably just wore off, and the rest of his symptoms are just side effects.”

Relief coursed through Akaashi at that, and he turned back to Bokuto.

“So it was the right antivenom?” Kuroo asked.

“Yes,” Tendou said. “It looks like the standard antivenom given for this snake. No additives.”

There was a sound of someone falling against the counter and Akaashi glanced around. Kuroo had caught Kenma, who looked dazed. Looking up, Kuroo caught his eye. “I’m going to take him to bed.”

Akaashi nodded. “I’ll make sure we keep you up to date with how Bo is.”

Kuroo nodded, and then they were out the door.

Lev brought a chair over to Akaashi and he looked up, giving the tall man a wan smile. “Thanks.”

“No problem,” Lev said, fidgeting a bit before going to stand close to Yaku.

“Thank all of you, for everything you’ve done here,” Akaashi said, glancing around. 

Tendou just nodded, still working at the screen. 

“It’s not a problem,” Yaku said, going over and pulling out a couple of medications. “They were our teammates first. I’m just glad they’ve found people who are so supportive.”

“It’s not just about Kenma and Kuroo,” Akaashi murmured, brushing Bokuto’s hair back from his head.

“I know. But still. I know how much Bokuto means to them. How much you do.”

Akaashi looked up at Yaku, feeling caught off-guard. They’d been so lax about hiding their relationship from others the past few days. Worry about the repercussions rose up in him. There was no judgement in Yaku’s eyes, however.

Instead he just smiled, injecting a couple of syringes into Bokuto’s IV. “We basically grew up together,” Yaku said. “Well, from the time we were eight or nine, at least. We were very close in the past.”

Lev slid an arm around Yaku’s waist at that, resting his chin on the other man’s head. 

Yaku made a face, elbowing back softly.

“In the past,” Akaashi said.

“Yes, yes, in the past,” Yaku murmured, reaching down and squeezing Lev’s hand. “And they’ll always be important to us. The past few years, it’s been hard trying to reconcile the person Kuroo was accused of being with the man I grew up with. To finally have proof that he’s innocent - that’s a very valuable thing.”

Akaashi nodded slowly. “Well, we had to capture him anyhow. Still need to.”

“Yes,” Yaku said, “But we could’ve done it differently. Gone in with more force, used chemical weapons - I can think of a dozen things that might’ve resulted in a more favorable outcome, if all we wanted to do was capture or kill them.”

This was true. The more that Akaashi thought about it, the more he knew it was.

“None of that would’ve resulted in our obtaining such a clean confession though,” Yaku finished.

“Kenma knew,” Akaashi murmured.

Yaku glanced over at Tendou, then back to Akaashi. “Several of us knew. And to be fair, there was a high chance of capture with this method as well. We almost had him.”

“You did have him,” Akaashi said, squeezing Bokuto’s hand. 

“How does the saying go?” Yaku asked. “One bird in the hand is worth -”

“Three snakes in the wind,” Akaashi finished, not really seeing the humor. But he was tired. Tired of dealing with Nohebi and all of their tricks. 

“Something like that,” Yaku murmured.

“We’ll get the snakes,” Lev said, eyes shining with purpose. “How many more places do they have to go, anyways?”

“Hopefully not many,” Akaashi said. His phone buzzed and he pulled it out, answering. “Yes?”

“How is Bokuto?” Tsukishima asked.

Akaashi’s lips twitched at the note of concern in his voice. “He’ll be fine,” Akaashi murmured, fingers checking for Bokuto’s pulse in his wrist even though the monitor was still steadily beeping. “How’s Kageyama?”

“Hinata got him up here in time. There’s some surface damage to his skin, but it didn’t eat down into the muscles. The two of them are griping at each other so much that I’m getting a headache listening to them, but that’s normal.”

Akaashi chuckled. “You’re the one who encouraged Hinata to apply, aren’t you?”

“We don’t have time for you to berate me for all my poor life choices, Akaashi.”

“How about the choices you haven’t made yet?”

“Not the time.”

Akaashi ducked his head, smiling. Yaku made a motion indicating they were going to leave and he waved at them, focusing on Bokuto’s face. “Never is. So did Iwaizumi get the prisoner to you safely?”

“Yes. Sakijima. He’s been taken by secure transport back to the city for processing.”

“Good.”

“We’re going to book him as a Confederation prisoner first. Fukurodani can petition for his transfer based on their other charges later. This way he’ll be in our system, though. Who knows. He might have warrants out in other systems as well.”

“I doubt it,” Akaashi murmured. “I get the feeling that they’ve been careful, before this. But maybe we’ll get lucky.”

“True,” Tsukishima said.

“How about the others? Are they still holed up down there, do you think?”

“Why, tempted to go down yourself?”

“No,” Akaashi said, lips twitching. “Well, not really.”

“Unfortunately, I don’t think they are. We did some additional scans with GPR, and sent a team down to try and dig through the rubble. They’re still working on it, but it looks like there are actually old escape tunnels that run for miles spreading out from the compound. We’ll try to follow, but it will be slow going since they may have left traps.”

“It would be just like them,” Akaashi said. “I don’t want your people getting hurt.”

“Thank you,” Tsukishima said. “We’ll up the search level though, and increase security for ships flying in and out, checking for any known associates. There are others looking into freezing their assets as well. We’ll find them.”

Akaashi nodded, patting Bokuto’s cheek. 

“Yeah,” he said. Tsukishima couldn’t see him, after all.

“We received word that your people apprehended the last of the ringleaders of the original drug crime earlier. One of them was convinced to roll over on the others. She’s giving details now, but so far her information has checked out. I’ve heard that all charges against Seijou will be dropped, even the ones about their actual theft.”

Those were the most important things, in the long run. Uncovering the corruption, getting medicine to children, clearing Seijou’s name - those were the things that mattered. That was their job, after all. Protecting the innocent, making sure that people were held accountable to the law. 

He knew that in his head, at least.

In his heart, they weren’t the most important things, however.

He was very glad that they’d gotten the confession needed to hopefully clear Kuroo’s name. He knew that none of them could’ve foreseen the fact that Kuguri had the damned snake hidden in his body armor. They did their best. 

But Bokuto was still unconscious. Kuroo was still hurting. Kenma was worn out, and had been at such risk. And he was tired.

“Are you going to be alright?” Tsukishima asked, drawing Akaashi from his thoughts.

“What?” he said. “Ah, yes. We will be fine. Thank you for your help.”

“Of course,” Tsukishima said. “Let me know if we can do something to help.”

Bokuto’s lashes fluttered on his cheek, and Akaashi squeezed his hand, willing him to wake up.

He probably needed rest though.

“Thank you,” Akaashi murmured. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Take care.”

Akaashi hung up the phone and then glanced back at Tendou. The man seemed lost in the screens in front of him. Akaashi wasn’t quite sure what to say, if anything. Finally, he decided he didn’t really mind the man being there.

At least if something went wrong with Bokuto, he might have an idea of what to do. He’d known quite a bit so far, even if Akaashi wasn’t ready to believe his strange theories about some lost tribe. Tendou seemed to have a good grasp of practical issues though, and medical ones as well.

Normally Akaashi would trust his own judgement. Normally he wouldn’t even want to rely on a stranger. Right now, he didn’t really have a choice.

In a way it was nice to know that others could be trusted to take care of things in his stead. This whole mission had been filled with times of relying on others. Not just Bokuto, or Kuroo and Kenma, either. They were his teammates. He expected to rely on them.

But Seijou, and Karasuno, and even the help that Tendou had provided - those were things he wouldn’t’ve expected. It was a far cry from the missions he and Bokuto used to take, where they really only had each other to rely on. 

A part of him longed for those days.

But the universe wasn’t centered on him and his wants, even if those wants were for the safety of the people he loved most.

He’d just have to figure out ways to be better at looking out for their safety in the future.

Right after Bokuto woke up.

~~~~~~

“I can walk myself,” Kenma complained.

Kuroo didn’t really care. He just held the other man tighter as he walked into their room, setting him on the bed.

“You’re exhausted,” Kuroo said. “Probably out of electrolytes. I should’ve had them hook you up to an IV back in the medbay.”

“Please. I’m not that bad,” Kenma said, laying back.

Frowning, Kuroo walked over to their bags. “You are,” he said, rummaging around until he found the pouch he was looking for. “Ah, here. Drink this.”

“Kuro -”

“It’s apple flavored, just like you like it.”

Kenma sighed, but took the pouch from him anyways, tearing the tab off the mouthpiece and starting to suck it down.

Kuroo sat next to him, tugging at Kenma so that he could run his fingers over the back of his head. No acid burns. Not even a singed hair. 

“I told you I’m fine,” Kenma said, pulling his mouth away from the pouch long enough to glare at Kuroo. 

“You always say you’re fine though,” Kuroo said, tugging at Kenma’s clothes. 

Sighing, the blond allowed Kuroo to take them off, grumbling under his breath as Kuroo checked out his body for injuries. 

“See?” Kenma said, handing the empty pouch back to Kuroo. “I told you I was fine.”

“You’re tired,” Kuroo said, curling their fingers together. “Your hands are shaking. You scared me to death.”

Kenma sighed, silent for a moment before saying, “I knew you would’ve tried to stop me if I told you.”

Giving a short bitter laugh, Kuroo said, “Like I would’ve been able to stop you even if I’d known.”

“Well, you could’ve asked Bokuto,” Kenma said, voice far too reasonable for Kuroo’s liking. “He probably would’ve done something.”

“Like not let you out of his sight?” Kuroo asked, trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice. “Did you plan that with Yaku? Is that why he had Lev go with you?”

Kenma shrugged, curling onto his side away from Kuroo. Their hands were still interlocked, resting on Kenma’s thigh.

The lack of answer was an answer in and of itself. 

“You don’t play games with teammates, Kenma,” Kuroo said.

Kenma pulled his hand away.

“It needed to happen,” he said. “It was the best possible chance of getting a confession. It was worth the risk.”

“You don’t get to decide that all on your own!”

“I did it for you!”

“I didn’t ask you to!” Kuroo said, quieting his voice as soon as he noticed it turning into a shout. “I didn’t ask you to. I wouldn’t. It’s not worth your life. It’s not worth you possibly being captured, tortured -”

“I had it under control,” Kenma said, seething.

“Right up until Bokuto got bitten by a deadly snake, yeah, sure.”

Kuroo regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. They weren’t fair, he knew they weren’t fair. He knew they’d struck home by the way Kenma curled up, ducking his head in silence. He wanted to apologize, to take the words back, to tell Kenma he’d just been frightened and worried and he loved him.

None of the words came, though.

He wondered if they’d come out better if Bokuto was there. Or Akaashi. 

The shitty thing was he knew that Kenma was upset, probably blaming himself for everything that had gone wrong. Not just Bokuto getting bitten but for Daishou getting away. He was probably even questioning the things that had gone right, like the choice to use the antivenom. That was how Kenma worked sometimes. His analytical mind would tear everything apart looking for things he could’ve done better. It was a dark, dangerous, depressive cycle and Kuroo had just added to it like an idiot.

All because he was upset.

All because he was a shitty excuse for a boyfriend, and a lover.

“I didn’t mean that,” he finally said, curling up on his side behind Kenma and wishing he could reach out to touch him.

Kenma nodded. The movement was so slight that Kuroo would’ve missed it if he hadn’t been looking. It might’ve just been a breath.

But the words that broke the silence between them proved that Kenma had heard him.

“Doesn’t make it not true.”

Taking a risk Kuroo slid fingers over Kenma’s shoulder, feeling the muscles stiffen under his touch. “You couldn’t’ve done anything. It’s Nohebi’s fault, not yours.”

“It was my plan.”

“You can’t plan for every eventuality, kitten,” Kuroo murmured.

“Bo could’ve died, Kuro. I risked - and I let them get away -”

“Shh, shh,” Kuroo said, rubbing his back. “Bokuto’s fine. He’ll be fine. You made the right choice. You didn’t hesitate once, you did everything you could to save him, and he’s fine.”

“But what if -”

“It wasn’t,” Kuroo said. “You made the right choice.”

“But -”

“Hush,” Kuroo murmured, carefully pulling Kenma closer, cradling his shaking body and kissing the back of his neck. “It’ll be ok. We’ll get them. It’ll be ok.”

Kenma sucked in a deep shuddering breath and pressed back against him, still curled up in a ball. Kuroo didn’t care, though. He just held him tight, thankful over and over that he could still hold Kenma in his arms. He’d get to have another morning with him, and mornings after that.

The rest, the broken things, the things that had gone wrong - those things were fixable. 

Bokuto would get better.

They would capture Daishou, and all of his crew.

But the most important people were here on this ship, alive and breathing. 

That was what really mattered.

Everything else was just details.


	50. Worries and Hopes

Everything hurt.

His muscles hurt. His back hurt. His neck hurt where the damn snake had bitten him. His chest hurt for some reason. His arm hurt. Everything hurt.

Bokuto groaned and opened his eyes, staring at the harsh lights of the medbay.

“Bokuto-san?” Akaashi said, clutching his hand and leaning over him.

Fuck, even that hurt.

His face must’ve shown something because Akaashi loosened his hold, brushing fingers over Bokuto’s face gently. 

“Sorry, sorry,” Akaashi murmured. “I just - we’ve been worried about you.”

“We?” Bokuto said, voice feeling dry and strained. He lifted his head a bit to look around, but Akaashi was the only one there.

“Yes, well. Kuroo and Kenma are in their room. Kenma was -”

“Is he ok?” Bokuto said, reaching up to clutch at Akaashi’s arm. “The bastard snake didn’t hurt him, did he?”

“He’s fine, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi murmured, brushing fingers over the back of Bokuto’s hand. “I spoke with Kuroo a while ago. They were going to nap, invited us to join if you felt like it when you woke up. Or you can stay here, or we can go to our bedroom, it’s up to you. Whatever you want.”

Bokuto lay back, scowling at the medbay ceiling. It seemed like every time they went out lately one of them ended up here. He didn’t want to spend one more second than necessary in this stuffy little room. “I don’t want to stay here,” he muttered, curling his fingers into fists and then relaxing them.

His muscles ached something fierce. He thought about asking Akaashi for a painkiller, but decided against it. Soreness would pass in time, and he didn’t want to be knocked out.

“What’s been going on?” he asked.

“Daishou and the others are still at large,” Akaashi said, fingers rubbing at the muscles of Bokuto’s forearm. “The one you captured is at Confederation headquarters. I think they’re planning to interrogate him once they’ve cleared all the necessary paperwork. There’s some question about his status. They seem to think they’ve rounded up all the ringleaders of the Kita branch. Ah, and Yukie wanted to talk to you.”

“Yukie?” Bokuto asked, frowning. “What did she need?”

Frowning, Akaashi said, “She wouldn’t tell me. Just asked me to have you call her.”

“Huh,” Bokuto said, pondering for a moment. “That’s strange. I wonder why she wouldn’t tell you.”

“I do not know, Bokuto-san.”

“I should call her then.”

“Really? You don’t have to call right away,” Akaashi said, pressing down on Bokuto’s shoulders. “I’m sure it can wait.”

“No, no,” Bokuto murmured, trying to fish in his pockets for his phone. “Ah -”

Sighing, Akaashi retrieved the phone from the tray next to them. “If you insist. But you really should be resting.”

Bokuto flashed him a grin. “I’ll be fine,” he murmured, dialing the number. “Hello, Yukie?”

“Bokuto! So glad to hear you’re alright!” she answered.

“Yeah! I mean, still sore and all, but I’m fine.”

“That’s good,” Yukie said. “You still owe me money, after all.”

“Whaaaat?” Bokuto squaked. “But I paid you for the tickets!”

“Yeah, for those tickets,” she replied, amusement in her voice. “But what about -”

“Ah yeah, yeah, I didn’t forget,” Bokuto said, covering the phone with a hand and looking at Akaashi worriedly while giving a nervous laugh. “I’ll get you back, no worry. Just between you and me, right?”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, I’ll keep it safe from your precious Akaashi,” Yukie said. Bokuto could picture the smile on her face, but her next words were more serious. “Hey, listen. I know you’ve had a rough few days. But, ah.”

“What?” Bokuto asked, frowning. 

“I need to come in tomorrow. Yamiji needs to meet with you.”

“Ok,” Bokuto said. “Hey, is something wrong?”

“Um, I’m not sure,” Yukie said. “It’s probably nothing. Just, ah. Dress nicely? And be on your best behavior while you’re here?”

“I can do that,” Bokuto replied. “Ah, so, do you want all of us? I don't even know if Kenma’s even met Yamiji.”

“Kenma... oh, Kozume-san? Ah, I don't know if he has. But no, just you.”

“Not even Akaashi?” That was weird.

“Well, technically you’re the captain of the team.”

That was right, he was. It was easy to forget, considering how fluidly they shifted responsibility among themselves. Bokuto thought about his teammates, how they all acted as leaders in different ways, and how the team was stronger for it. But when it came down to brass tacks, he was the one in charge.

And he was the one responsible for his team’s actions, for good or for ill. 

“Alright, Yukie, I’ll be there. Just send me the time.”

“I can do that,” Yukie said, voice soft.

“And Yukie?”

“Yes?”

“Thank’s for the heads-up.”

Bokuto said his goodbyes and hung up, staring at Akaashi. 

“They want you to meet?” Akaashi finally said.

“Yeah,” said Bokuto, pushing himself to sit up regardless of the ache in his muscles. “She said with Yamiji, but she also said to dress nice.”

“So it’s probably not just with Yamiji,” Akaashi murmured, standing and rubbing Bokuto’s shoulders. 

Bokuto nodded, sliding hands around Akaashi’s waist and leaning into him. He sighed as Akaashi’s hands slipped around to rub his back. “I guess it’s time to get called out,” he said.

“They shouldn’t be angry,” Akaashi murmured, kissing the top of Bokuto’s head. He was worried. Bokuto knew he was worried. “I mean, we exposed major corruption within one of our medical branches, corruption that affected Fukurodani’s ability to complete their contracted duties of care here on Aoba.”

“Yeah, but the Confederation learned about it before Fukurodani headquarters did, I bet,” Bokuto said, sighing. “And it’s not like we exactly did things by the book, especially with Seijou.”

“We did what Yamiji asked us to do! And we got the job done!”

“I know,” Bokuto whispered, pulling back to look up at Akaashi and plastering a fake smile on his face. “Well, we don’t really know yet what they’re going to say, right?”

Akaashi frowned, and Bokuto could see a million questions crashing into themselves behind his grey-green eyes. On impulse Bokuto kissed him. Whatever else happened, he’d have Akaashi.

With the confession Daishou had provided, he’d have Kuroo and Kenma, too. Even if Fukurodani decided to make an example of them somehow, they’d figure out a way to make it work. One way or another. After all, if worst came to worst, Kuroo and Kenma knew how to survive on the run.

The thought made Bokuto’s grin true, and he nuzzled his nose against Akaashi’s. “It’ll be fine,” he said, feeling Akaashi’s fingers curl into his sides, pulling him closer. “Whatever else happens, we’ll all be together, right? Ah, and who knows. Maybe it’ll go the other way and they’ll offer us all promotions.”

Akaashi chuckled. “Right. They’re going to promote us after just one mission.”

“Hey hey hey! You never know, it could happen! I mean, it was one hell of a mission. Could you imagine what would’ve happened to Fukurodani if we weren’t the ones who’d uncovered things? What if the press got ahold of it! It might have even put the contract in jeopardy!”

Probably not. Fukurodani had spin doctors who could twist whatever came out, but still. No one liked bad press, especially when there were people on Aoba who were already protesting the idea of foreign governance.

Shaking his head, Akaashi said, “Maybe you’re right. I wouldn’t count on it, though.”

“Have hope, Akaashi,” Bokuto said, smiling at him. He pushed back against him so that he could stand up, wincing at the pain in his muscles.

Akaashi caught him. “Are you sure you’re ready to go? You can rest here a bit longer.”

“No,” Bokuto said, sitting back against the bed. “I”m, ah -”

The door to the medbay slid open, and Kunimi walked in, supported by Oikawa.

Akaashi turned to them. “Kunimi? Are you ok?”

The younger man nodded, frowning slightly.

“He’s fine, he’s fine,” Oikawa said, “Just worn out, and he needs some painkillers. Ah -”

Huffing, Akaashi tapped Bokuto’s hip before walking over. “How long has it been since you were scanned?” he asked Kunimi, bustling him over to one of the other beds.

Oikawa watched them go, fidgeting a moment before moving over to Bokuto. “I could do it, you know,” he murmured to Bokuto. “I mean, it’s not like I’m the one who patched Akaashi up when he was injured. Not like I’m the one with medical training here.”

Bokuto chuckled. He hadn’t really spent much time with the other man, but even he could see he wasn’t as put upon as he was acting. “I think Akaashi really appreciates Kunimi, and all the things he’s done to help.”

Oikawa nodded, watching the other two men critically. “Kunimi is good. I’ve never seen him work this hard, though. It’s really amazing what he can do given the proper motivation.”

“Well, maybe he cares about you,” Bokuto said.

“Eh?” Oikawa asked, glancing over. “Oh. Well. Yeah. We all do. It’s hard to see him doing this while he’s injured. I hope he hasn’t made it worse. He shouldn’t be injured at all.”

Bokuto pretended to ignore the look Oikawa gave his thigh. It was hard to remember that the kid Akaashi was scanning was the same guy who’d shot him just a few days ago. Hard to think that Kunimi’s collarbone had been broken by an angry Kuroo, or that Kuroo had almost killed the man standing near him.

“Have you heard any word about your status?” Bokuto asked.

“What? Oh, yeah. I think they’re planning to grant us full immunity. I have to go into Fukurodani headquarters tomorrow and give a full statement, and I think they may have me identify some of the people involved. I’m the only witness from Seijou, so I think they aren’t going to pull us all in, just me.”

Bokuto nodded. “I’m going in tomorrow as well, we can go together.”

“Alright.” Oikawa said, standing up a little straighter as Akaashi finished up with Kunimi.

“Do you know what’s going to happen to the shipment?” Bokuto asked.

Oikawa turned to him, a stricken look on his face. “No? I - I don’t know,” he said, giving a little laugh. “I guess the idea of taking it and spreading it out to everyone in the countryside was a bit of a fantastical idea, wasn’t it. Especially now that they know, and know where the shipment is. I mean, we’re just a handful of people.”

Bokuto frowned, reaching out and patting Oikawa’s arm. “I’m sure they’ll do the right thing,” he said. 

“I hope so,” said Oikawa. “It just - it wouldn’t be enough, you know? Just to get immunity for all of us, after all this. It wouldn’t be enough, knowing that there are kids out there who need the medicine. Knowing about all the families - I just -”

“Yeah.”

Akaashi looked up at Oikawa as he drew near. “Everything alright?” he asked.

Oikawa flashed him a huge smile. “It’s fine, Akaashi! Everything’s great. Thank you so much for your help with Kunimi!”

“Not a problem,” Akaashi said, gaze soft as he looked them over. “Kunimi should stay in bed the next couple of days though. His collarbone isn’t healing quite as fast as it should, probably because of the extra strain. I’ve given him some medication that he can take as soon as he lies down, just in case it knocks him out.”

“Hear that, Kunimi-chan?” Oikawa said. “You have an official excuse to laze around for days! Just what you’ve always wanted. I’ll make sure to send Kindaichi in to take care of you as soon as he’s back from fetching Iwa-chan, too.”

Kunimi just sighed, glancing at Bokuto and giving a little shrug with his good shoulder. The kid looked tired as hell.

“Well,” Akaashi said, “Now that that’s settled.”

Bokuto leaned against him, watching the other two leave. “I wanna see Kuroo and Kenma,” he said, curling his fingers into Akaashi’s hand.

“You do, do you?” Akaashi murmured. “Well, I suppose that can be arranged.”

Bokuto looked up at him, smiling. “Good.”

Akaashi was beautiful. He looked tired. “You’re always so strong, Akaashi,” Bokuto murmured, reaching up and caressing his lover’s cheek. “I’m so lucky to have you. Wait, we’re so lucky to have you.”

It made Akaashi chuckle, and he leaned over, resting his forehead against Bokuto’s. “Well, we’re very very lucky to have you as well, Bokuto-san,” he murmured, kissing Bokuto softly. “And I for one know two people who will be very glad to see you up and awake.”

“Yeah,” Bokuto said, smiling into another kiss. “Let's go surprise them.”

“Are you able to walk on your own?”

“Hmm,” Bokuto said, stretching. The ache was still present, but receding the more he moved. “I think so. Unless you want to carry me, Akaaaaaaashi?”

Akaashi chuckled. “Not particularly.”

Pouting, Bokuto said, “Fine then. I guess I’ll just have to do it myself.”

“Yes, Bokuto-san.”

“Love you, Akaashi.”

“Yes, Bokuto-san.”

“Akaaaaaashi!”

“Love you too.”

Bokuto smiled. “Good.”

~~~~~~~~

Kenma’s hand curled protectively around Kuroo’s shoulder as their bedroom door slid open. “Oh,” he said once he saw who it was. “Bo. Akaashi.”

He relaxed back against the headboard, fingers moving back to card through Kuroo’s soft black hair. Kenma had woken up before Kuroo. It was rare, but it did happen. He’d gotten up to get something to drink, and when he’d sat back down, Kuroo had glomped onto him, insisting on using one of his thighs as a pillow.

Kenma didn’t mind at all, he’d just pulled his handheld closer and found something he could play one-handed. He’d checked the news first, amazed that no one had caught wind of everything they’d been neck deep in the past few days. That was probably a good thing, though. No news was good news when it came to their business. Still, in a way he was glad he could shut out the rest of the world without worry that they were trying to look in on him. He’d rather just sit and rest, curled up with his beloved, watching over his sleeping body. Not that Kenma would ever admit it, but sleeping Kuroo was rather adorable, and he needed the rest.

“Is it still alright that we join you, Kenma?” Akaashi asked, pausing on the threshold. “We can go to our own room if needed.”

Kenma glanced up again, shaking his head. “Please,” he said, setting the handheld to the side and beckoning them in. 

Bokuto looked tired and stiff. Kenma frowned, glancing at Akaashi and back again to Bokuto as he lay down in the bed next to Kuroo. 

“Are you ok, Bo?” Kenma asked, frowning as Akaashi started to undress him.

“I’ll be fine, kitten,” Bokuto said, pulling up the covers to slip in behind Kuroo. He reached out for Kenma’s hand, squeezing it tight. “I’m just glad you’re alright.”

There was the pet name again. Kenma wasn’t fully sure how he felt about the name. Kuroo had used it for years, but Kuroo said all sorts of embarrassing things that Kenma just put up with. When Bokuto said it, it made Kenma feel small. 

But then again, Bokuto often made him feel small. Not in a bad way, not exactly. Just like he wanted to curl up and be held, safe and sound, protected from the world by those thick muscular arms. It made him feel vulnerable, recklessly trusting that Bokuto would never cause him harm.

Those were dangerous, dangerous thoughts.

Kenma looked down, unexpectedly meeting another pair of golden eyes. 

“Hey,” Kuroo murmured sleepily. “How come he gets to call you kitten too?”

Bokuto squawked, letting go of Kenma’s hand to rub his knuckles on the back of Kuroo’s head. “What, are you jealous! Why shouldn't I get to call him kitten, eh?”

“Hey, ow, you’re an invalid you shouldn’t be beating me up!” Kuroo yelled, rolling over on his back and pushing at Bokuto’s shoulder.

“Oh yeah? Oh yeah? Well, maybe I should come up with a nickname for you too, huh?” Bokuto said, scowling down at him before impudently kissing him on the nose.

“Yeah, yeah,” Kuroo said, pulling Bokuto down into a proper kiss. “It’d better be a good one, though.”

Kenma couldn’t help the soft huff of laughter that escaped him as the two playfully wrestled next to him.

“Maybe I’ll just call you kitten too, huh? How about that?” Bokuto said.

“Hey!” Kuroo replied, deep blush gracing his cheeks as he shot a glance up at Kenma. “You, uh, you can’t call me that.”

“Oh hoh?” Bokuto asked, pushing back and looking from Kuroo to Kenma. “Why not, eh?”

“Uh, because I’m too tall, yeah.”

Kenma snorted. “Not when you're on your back you aren’t.” Or your knees, he thought, but didn’t add.

Akaashi raised an eyebrow. “There something you want to tell us, Kenma?”

“Ah,” he murmured, watching Kuroo squirm as Bokuto stared down at him. “Only if he wants.”

The pet name meant very different things between them, after all. Kuroo had used it with him for ages, just randomly. When Kenma had gotten fed up and turned the tables on him one day, the results had been, well.

Rather enjoyable for both of them. 

But it was a private thing and not something he’d ever force out in the open if Kuroo wasn’t comfortable. 

“Fineeeee,” Bokuto grumbled, laying his full weight on Kuroo’s chest. “Then I’ll just call you my dumb cat.”

“What!” Kuroo yelled, pushing at Bokuto. “Hey, get off of me, you stupid owl!”

“What was that? I can’t hear you with my little invalid ears, did you say get off on you?”

“Ack! No!” Kuroo said, pushing Bokuto over onto his back, and laughing as he looked down at him. “Well, though, I suppose that would be alright - hey, are you ok?”

Bokuto groaned, then made little whimpering noises as he looked up at Kuroo. “Achy,” he said, tugging Kuroo down on top of him.

Akaashi chuckled, getting up from the side of the bed where he’d moved to get out of Bokuto’s way. “I’m not sure any of us are going to be up for strenuous activities tonight,” he said, moving around the bed and looking down at Kenma. “Mind if I join you over here? I think it might be safer.”

Kenma looked up at him and nodded, scooting over and looking back over at Kuroo and Bokuto. “They’re both idiots, aren’t they?” he murmured.

“Yes,” Akaashi said, voice fond. “Our idiots, though.”

“True.”

Kenma relaxed into Akaashi’s hold, feeling the man’s hand curve over his stomach, pulling him back against him. He could feel vague sparks of sensation flow between them. Akaashi kissed the back of his head. Kenma felt on-edge and comfortable all at the same time.

Bokuto looked so tired.

Bokuto had almost died. Akaashi had almost died. Kuroo -

“I’m sorry,” Kenma said, sitting up suddenly. “Ah, I need to - ah -”

“Kenma?” Bokuto said, murmuring worriedly to Kuroo as Kenma moved over Akaashi and stumbled into the bathroom. The light was glaring. He stared into the mirror, turning the water on and putting his hands in the cool stream, trying to catch his breath.

The edges of the tile felt sharp and cold against his fingers as he gripped the sink tightly, feeling the curve of it with his fingertips. Thoughts spiraled down through his brain, one chasing right after another. His skin crawled. He could feel so much. He felt the blood dancing under his skin, couldn't help but replay the sight of Daishou’s blood on his cheek, the sight of Bokuto gasping for air, all of it. His chest tightened. Too much. Everything was too much suddenly. 

A sound from the doorway made him cringe, ducking his head to block the sight from his eyes.

“Are you ok?” Akaashi asked.

Sucking in a deep breath Kenma said, “I'll be fine.” At least he could say those words.

He watched the water stream from the faucet, getting lost in the stream for a moment. He wondered if Akaashi would try and touch him, comfort him. It made his breath come faster and he tensed up, waiting for it, waiting for the inevitable moment where he had to try to explain, had to try and find ways to forestall the inevitable misunderstandings. 

It had been good, so good just moments before, why did his brain have to be like this. His skin crawled, craving the cool and the sharp edges that didn’t move, didn’t change.

“Bokuto’s going to be fine,” Akaashi said.

He hadn’t moved. He wasn’t hovering right behind Kenma, reaching out to touch. He was giving him space without even being asked.

Kenma nodded. He reached out with one hand for the faucet again, feeling the curve of the metal, brushing his thumb against the sharp curve of the opening through the water, texture of the wire mesh pressing into his skin. He moved his hand, letting the blunt end of the faucet press into his palm, firm and unyielding.

“I know,” he finally said. He did know. 

He curved his fingers around the metal then pulled back, worried. When he chanced a glance back at Akaashi he saw no judgment, however, just placid concern.

“I could’ve,” Kenma said, “He could’ve - we -”

“I know,” Akaashi said. He was still for a moment, then he slid down to the floor, sitting against the doorjamb. 

Space. Akaashi was giving him space.

It was so unexpected he wasn’t sure what to do for a moment. Wasn’t sure what the rules were, what he was supposed to do in this situation. Akaashi’s eyes were closed, though, not looking at him. Not asking, not giving, not taking, not pushing. Letting him be. Being there, but letting him be. 

He took another breath.

Slowly he nodded and shut off the water, turning around. He moved down, sitting on the floor and leaning back against the counter, knees pulled up to his chest. One hand traced over the pattern of the tile floor. It was probably dirty but he didn’t care. The texture helped calm him, realign his thoughts.

“It’s always a risk, going out like that,” Akaashi said. He leaned his head back and looked up at the ceiling. “You think you’d get used to it, but I never do.”

Kenma nodded slowly. “I should be used to it by now,” he said. “I’m fine in the moment. When I have to do something, I just do what needs to be done. But after, all I can think about -”

“What we could’ve done differently, done better. How things could’ve gone wrong. What might’ve happened. All the things we didn’t foresee.”

Kenma nodded, staring down at his bare knees. The tiles were cool against his naked body, edges of the cabinets pressing into his bare back. “I’m sorry,” Kenma murmured.

Akaashi thought about this for a moment, then said, “No.”

“What?”

Fixing him with a level stare, Akaashi said, “You made the best possible decisions with the information you had at hand. I wouldn’t’ve chosen differently. You didn’t let your desire to hurt Daishou tip over into vengeance, you chose Bokuto’s life over his capture, you got the information we needed. You have absolutely nothing to be sorry for.”

Kenma huffed, train of thought derailed by the other man’s words. “But I -”

Akaashi’s eyes glinted in the light. “You did the best you could, and I am far too thankful to have you on my team to accept your apology. I am glad you made every choice you did. I am proud to have you as a partner. You did well.”

The words felt true and foreign at the same time. Kenma rubbed his head, frowning as he tried to process them. Akaashi’s voice was like a knife that cut through all his panic, all the webs of conflicting questions and thoughts that fractured his emotions.

He sat back, holding his hand over his eyes as he tried to sift out the thoughts. There was truth, the truth that Akaashi had spoken. A part of him fully believed that truth. Another part recognized that there was something questionable about that feeling. He wasn’t sure what to make of it though, because what Akaashi said was reasonable, and there was no reason to doubt what he said. 

Those thoughts weren’t foreign, they came from the calm center of his mind, the part that had been hazed over by anxiety just a few moments prior.

Interesting.

A part of his brain said that he’d need to investigate this phenomenon more thoroughly later. He’d witnessed something like it in the meeting with Tendou and the others, but hadn’t really grasped the full impact.

Looking up at Akaashi, he wondered for a moment. This was unusual. Suspicions played in his mind, distracting him from all the earlier worries. He welcomed all the thoughts.

“You look better,” Akaashi murmured.

There was no impact this time, no sensation of his responses being manipulated by outside forces. It was just a statement, simple and true.

He was better.

Not perfect. He tested the thought of crawling back into bed with everyone, and found he wasn’t quite ready for that yet. But his skin wasn’t crawling anymore, and his mind felt at rest.

“Thank you,” Kenma said.

Akaashi nodded. “Do you want to get up?”

Kenma shook his head.

“Alright.”

Akaashi didn’t move to get up either. He just sat, crossing his legs and leaning back against the wall, staring down at his hands thoughtfully.

As the silence stretched between them, Kenma wondered if they should make conversation. There were things they needed to talk about. Things he could talk about with Akaashi, now. Things about Kuroo, about Daishou, about how Akaashi was feeling, about Bokuto - a million things that probably he should be asking.

None of the words came to his mouth, and Akaashi didn’t ask him any more questions.

After a few moments he sank into the silence until all he could hear was Akaashi’s breathing. It was calming. Even. Orderly, like the grooves of the tiles sliding beneath his fingertips. 

They sat there for a long time, saying nothing, just two companions lost in their own thoughts. Eventually, Bokuto stumbled into the doorway, apologetically asking if he needed to go use one of the other restrooms or if they minded if -

Kenma just chuckled and pushed himself up, scrunching his nose at the stiffness of his muscles. He turned, washing his hands before looking back at Bokuto and Akaashi.

“Ready now?” Akaashi murmured.

Kenma looked up at him, lips curving as he reached out toward the other man.

“Yes,” Kenma said, squeezing as Akaashi took his hand. “Thank you.”

“Anytime.”


	51. Thoughts of the Future (E)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took a bit (for me), life has been hectic. Also I don't know if you saw, but my writing for Sunday was in a little KuroKen thing that talked some about their history together, it's called Kitten (sheds some light on Kuroo's reaction to Bokuto using that pet name with him in the last chapter). Also I don't think i've mentioned, but there are a few other sidefics that I've done set in this same AU that explore aspects of different relationships here... hope you enjoy. 
> 
> Also, this is rated E (for emotions) (no for smut too) (but yes, for emotions).

Kuroo sat up as Akaashi and Kenma walked back into the bedroom. He had eyes only for Kenma, studying his face and watching his movements. Kenma looked tired. Relaxed, though. Kuroo’s gaze drifted down to to where Akaashi’s hand was joined with his lover’s and let out a sigh, lips curling in a slight smile.

If Kenma was holding hands, he was feeling better. 

At least somewhat.

The blond let go of Akaashi’s hand and climbed up on the end of the bed, crossing his legs as he sat facing Kuroo. So, better, but still in his head. Akaashi mirrored his position on the other side of the bed, and Kuroo sat up as well, scooting over to leave room for Bokuto.

When Bokuto came out of the bathroom he wiped his hands together and looked at the three of them, confusion evident on his face. “Is this some special type of Alephian sex move? Some mental connection thing?” he asked.

Stifling a laugh Kuroo looked at Kenma. He was the one who’d started this. He was also the one whose lips were currently twitching in a faint smile as he looked at his hands.

“No,” Kenma said, glancing up at Bokuto. “I just wanted to talk to you all, I guess. Not ready to sleep yet.”

“Talk,” Bokuto said, pausing a moment before he climbed onto the bed, pulling his legs up to sit like the other three. “Ok, I can talk. What do you want to talk about? We can talk about owls, if you want. Or there’s this game we used to play back in the academy. Or I can tell you about this dream I had earlier, when I was dozing with Kuroo. There were bats, and this weird purple rainbow thing - do you think there could be just a plain purple rainbow?”

Kenma was huffing a laugh now, and Kuroo loved the look on his face as he gazed at Bokuto. It reminded Kuroo of how he’d looked at Fukunaga way back in the day, though Bokuto was nothing like that quiet man. Happy though, Kenma looked happy, and very amused.

He’d always said Fukunaga had the best jokes.

“I'm not sure, Bo,” Kenma murmured, shifting to press his feet together. His toes were twitching back and forth in a way Kuroo found adorable. “I was thinking more along the lines of talk as a team, though. But talking about dreams is nice.”

As a team.

Kuroo glanced over at Akaashi, frowning at the shift to seriousness that was taking place on his new lover’s face. “You mean like regroup, talk about what comes next?” Kuroo asked.

Kenma nodded.

“It’s probably not a bad time to do that,” Akaashi said.

“Ah, yeah,” Bokuto muttered, giving a shrug. “Well, I suppose I should tell you all that I’ve been called up to a meeting tomorrow with my boss. Our boss. It’s probably more than just him, though. It sounded kinda formal. I’m not sure what’s going to happen.”

They were silent for a moment, digesting that news.

“Can we come with you?” Kuroo asked.

“They just asked for me,” Bokuto said.

Akaashi frowned. “I’m going with you,” he declared. “The worst they can do is make me wait. I can use the time to touch base with everyone, see how the investigation is progressing.

Kuroo looked over at Kenma. They could go too, but it might be overkill.

“Oikawa said he’s been invited to a meeting at headquarters too. I’m not sure if it’s at the same time, but I figure we can all go together,” Bokuto said.

“If Oikawa’s going, Iwaizumi’s probably going,” said Kuroo, thinking it over. “Even if things are supposed to be good for them now that the culprits have been taken care of, I can’t imagine either of them fully trusting Fukurodani.”

“Well,” Akaashi said, “Technically they did steal a shipment of Fukurodani’s property.”

“Well yeah! But -” Bokuto said.

“I know, I know,” Akaashi interrupted. “They did it for a good cause. That doesn’t mean there won’t be consequences.”

“There may be consequences for all of us,” Kenma said.

“I’d still do the same thing over again,” Bokuto said, huffing slightly.

Kenma nodded. “I would as well.”

“I think we all would,” Kuroo said, glancing over at Akaashi to see if he agreed. 

There was no hesitation on his part, though Akaashi did trace over the line of the bandage on his wrist. “I have a feeling that we would’ve been drawn to things anyhow, given Nohebi’s involvement in the matter, and Daishou’s obsession with Kuroo.”

Guilt rose up again in Kuroo’s heart. If he hadn’t been around, neither Akaashi nor Bokuto would’ve gotten hurt. 

Someone shifted on the bed and Kuroo looked up, seeing Kenma crawling to him.

“Stop,” Kenma said, putting a hand on Kuroo’s knee.

“But I -”

“He’s right, Kuroo,” Akaashi said.

“Yeah, man,” Bokuto said, scooting over to put an arm around Kuroo’s shoulders. 

Akaashi moved closer, nudging Kuroo closer to Bokuto. “I didn’t say that so that you could feel bad about things, Kuroo. What happened was Daishou’s fault, not yours. His choices.”

Kuroo knew that what Akaashi said was correct. He still felt guilty, though.

Sighing, Akaashi looked at him. “Please tell me that I’m not going to have to deal with all three of you getting all moody on me tonight.”

“What?” Bokuto squawked. “Akaaaashi! I haven’t been moody all night.”

Akaashi sent him a pointed look. 

Pouting, Bokuto said, “Ok, maybe a little bit. But not that long, and you were being negative too.”

“I was just being realistic,” Akaashi countered. 

There was a brittleness to his tone that made Kuroo really look at him. All of a sudden, he felt self-indulgent for giving into his guilt. He knew, based on years of experience, that Kenma would pick up on it and respond the way he had, make him feel better. As he looked at Akaashi’s tired face, however, he wondered if the guilt was something akin to self-pity. In being so focused on himself, he felt like he’d missed something important.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured, lifting a hand to Akaashi’s shoulder.

The other looked at him accusingly a moment then seemed to realize the shift behind Kuroo’s words. Akaashi sighed and looked down, leaning in and resting his head on Kuroo’s shoulder. 

Kuroo wrapped his arms around Akaashi and kissed the top of his head, letting the other man cling to him. How much had Akaashi been hiding by having to care for them?

Well, they all cared for each other, in their own way. 

Glancing over at Kenma he relaxed, seeing peace in his eyes. Bokuto was making small noises and rubbing Kuroo’s back, one hand curling into Akaashi’s fingers. 

Kuroo pondered things as they curled up together, not talking for a few moments. He’d been running so long from the truth about Daishou. He’d been terrified of what would happen if the full truth was revealed to Kenma, if people from back home ever found them. But both of those things had happened, and it wasn’t nearly as bad as he feared.

Kenma still loved him, still believed in him. 

As for home...

“We will need to go back to Aleph at some point,” Kuroo murmured. “For the trial.”

He felt Akaashi’s fingers curl into him and heard Bokuto make a distressed noise. Kenma just nodded, however.

“We can clear your name,” Kenma said. “Well, there might still be some charges.”

“I need to face it though,” Kuroo murmured, burying his face in Akaashi’s hair and drinking in his clean, slightly spicy scent. “I want to be able to go home.”

“I want to take you to my home,” Akaashi said. 

Kuroo smiled. “Really?”

Akaashi nodded against his chest as Bokuto said, “Yeah yeah! That would be great! We should all take a trip. Maybe go to that beach you like so much too, Akaashi. Spend a couple of weeks -”

“A month.”

Kuroo chuckled. Kenma was scrunching up his nose, but he smiled as he looked down at Akaashi. His kitten wasn’t terribly fond of beaches; the texture of the sand annoyed him and he didn’t like the way dried saltwater felt on his skin. But Kuroo knew Kenma would do it for Akaashi.

“I like that idea,” Kuroo murmured, feeling Bokuto’s arms stretch around him to rub Akaashi’s back. He felt squished, being in the middle like this, but he didn’t mind. Not really. It just felt right, all of it felt right, more right than he deserved. Even the fact that Kenma was holding himself at the periphery for now. Touching them or not, he was as much a part of this as anyone else, and Kuroo knew he was happy.

“Hey,” Kuroo murmured, shifting a hand under Akaashi’s chin and looking down at him. “We’ll be good. Thank you, for putting up with me. And Bokuto.”

“Hey hey!” Bokuto said, mock-insulted.

Akaashi chuckled. His eyes were red, and he looked exhausted. Worry still haunted his face. Kuroo thought he was beautiful, so he kissed him. Akaashi was soft like this, he found. Soft and pliant, just a bit desperate as he clung. 

It made Kuroo want to take care of him, so he deepened the kiss, trying to press his reassurances into Akaashi’s body with his mouth and hands. There was a shakiness in the other’s limbs that seemed so very unlike Akaashi. It drew emotions up out of Kuroo that he didn’t have words for. He felt pained that he’d been a part of pushing Akaashi to this moment, honored that Akaashi was willing to be so vulnerable in his arms. 

Bokuto was rubbing his lower back, then pushing slightly. Kuroo pulled back and smiled, laying Akaashi back and shifted, hovering over him. Akaashi’s fingers reached up, tangling in his hair. He needed this. They both needed this. They all did.

Glancing over, Kuroo saw that Kenma had moved up onto the bed behind Bokuto, still holding himself apart. He probably would for a while. Kenma had moments where his skin was so sensitive that caresses agitated instead of comforted. But Kuroo saw him nod, and felt no worry. Kenma was at peace.

They all needed that peace.

Kuroo shifted over so that Bokuto could have more room before lowering himself back down for another kiss with Akaashi. It was languid and gentle, teeth teasing at lips, tongues sliding over each other to taste, feel. Kuroo let his free hand wander up and down Akaashi’s chest, sometimes tangling with Bokuto’s as he did the same thing. Slowly, slowly he felt Akaashi relax.

Letting his hand wander lower Kuroo pulled back, watching Akaashi’s eyes. They were dark, sparks swirling in them as Kuroo traced lines down over his hips. He’d thought that the colors in Akaashi’s eyes were the pure white of the tribeless, but watching them now, he wondered if they could be considered the palest of greens. 

Akaashi was a mystery. 

Bokuto reached out, fingers curling around Akaashi’s cheek, turning his head. “Akaaaaashi,” he murmured, looking deep into the other man’s eyes. 

The love between them was written in the layers of that glance. Akaashi’s breath caught in his throat, lines Kuroo hadn’t even noticed before melting away from his face. Then his eyes widened. “Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said, back arching as a smile covered Bokuto’s face.

Looking down, Kuroo saw that Bokuto’s fingers were sliding over Akaashi’s cock, coaxing it to hardness. Bokuto glanced over at him in invitation and Kuroo let his hand slide down, joining Bokuto’s, thumb sliding through a bead of precum at the tip. 

Kuroo kissed Akaashi’s shoulder, then moved down, looking once more over at Kenma before letting his mouth trail over pale skin, kissing ribs then the softness of stomach.

“Kuroo, you don't - mmph,” Akaashi said, cut off by Bokuto’s lips. 

He didn’t have to, but he wanted to.

Akaashi’s precum tasted almost like water, just slightly bitter, slightly salty. Kuroo lapped gently at it, teasing the slit of Akaashi’s cock, kissing down his length. Bokuto’s hand slid lower, massaging Akaashi’s balls as the man spread his legs a bit. Glancing over Kuroo could see that Bokuto was growing hard as well, but he didn’t seem to be in a hurry to do anything about it. 

Kuroo thought about trying to take both cocks in his mouth at once. It was not an unappealing idea but seemed like something best done another time, when no worries haunted them. Right now he wanted to focus on Akaashi. So he moved back up to the head of his cock, sucking gently at the foreskin, pushing it down with his tongue before tasting the slit again.

Akaashi’s hips were moving now, little rocking motions in time with the way Bokuto was tugging at his balls. Kuroo opened his mouth, breathing over the head of Akaashi’s cock before sliding his lips around it and sucking. He heard the muffled noise Akaashi made into Bokuto’s mouth and hummed softly. Akaashi jerked. If his mouth wasn’t full of cock Kuroo would’ve laughed at that, but instead, he just hummed again, taking more of the thick silky-hard length into his mouth. Akaashi’s hand slid into his hair, joined shortly by Bokuto’s, and Kuroo groaned.

He was hard. He hadn’t meant to get hard. This wasn’t supposed to be about anyone but Akaashi, but the feeling of two hands joining together to guide him as he sucked just tripped too many of his buttons.

Featherlight touches traced down his back and he opened his eyes, looking over into golden eyes sparking red.

Kenma had decided to join the party.

He mouthed a word that broke something open inside Kuroo. A shiver raced down his spine and he rolled his shoulders, feeling Kenma’s small hand urging him to move. He pulled off and swallowed, glancing up apologetically before climbing between Akaashi’s legs and kneeling there. Bokuto looked down at him and then over at Kenma, licking his lips and pushing down on Kuroo’s head. Obediently - obedience, that was not a word he thought of often - Kuroo slid a hand around Akaashi’s cock, sucking him back down and drinking in his little gasping moans.

Kenma’s hand was gone.

He missed it, felt adrift without his presence even as both Bokuto and Akaashi tugged encouragingly at his hair. The familiar presence was back again soon, though, bed dipping on the other side, small hands rubbing at his back as Kenma leaned over to kiss his shoulder and murmur small encouragements. Fingers slid up, grasping the back of his neck and pushing him down further onto Akaashi’s cock in a way that made Kuroo’s toes curl. He let all three of them guide him, tongue sliding around Akaashi’s length, moaning as Kenma’s hand slid down his spine, tracing every bump.

He was vulnerable here, and open, but he loved it. Kenma was whispering words into his skin, tracing patterns with nimble fingers, thumb brushing between the curve of his cheeks and teasing his rim. He hadn’t expected to want this, but he wanted, he wanted, he wanted. Suddenly the need for Kenma was an almost overwhelming visceral thing, one that made him push back against the fingers pressing at his entrance, blunt nails scraping over the sensitive skin. 

There was a click and he sucked harder, knowing what it was. He gave himself over to the hands on his body, letting the fingers in his hair push and pull, moaning when new fingers moved to his ass, slick as they slowly, gently pressed inside. One, one was easy, teasing, curling. Then another, pushing deeper, twisting, spreading slickness inside him. It was a familiar, familiar feeling. He and Kenma had been doing this for years, Kenma knew exactly how to play him, where to touch, how fast he could take it, how much he needed to be opened up. It was easy to soften himself under Kenma’s fingers, especially knowing what was to come.

Akaashi’s fingers curled in his hair, hips jerking. It distracted Kuroo for a moment and he refocused on the cock in his mouth, sucking harder, movements more deliberate as he sought to draw Akaashi closer to the edge. The fingers in his ass disappeared and he felt Kenma kneeling behind him, hands on his ass, thumbs pulling his cheeks apart. 

Akaashi was keening now, noises half-muffled by kisses. Bokuto’s fingers moved out of his hair and Kuroo glanced up, seeing that both of his hands were around Akaashi’s face, pulling him into a deeper kiss. Kuroo wanted to smile. Instead, he moaned, opening his throat up as much as he could to take Akaashi down deep as Kenma started to press inside, slow and firm and unrelenting. It was tight, just this side of pain, just this side of pleasure, just sensation. Kuroo’s eyes watered as Akaashi pushed down hard on the back of his head, hips jerking in short little thrusts that blocked his breath. He pulled back a bit, fighting the desire to gag, then felt Akaashi’s fingers curl tight in his hair in a way that had him squeezing around Kenma’s cock in his ass. It was too much, too much, too much, too perfect -

And then Akaashi came, warmth flooding into Kuroo’s mouth as he sucked, swallowing as best he could. Some escaped. He knew, didn’t really care. Kenma was pulling back, hand sliding up to wrap around Kuroo’s shoulder as he slid home, burying himself balls deep in Kuroo’s ass. 

Home. This was home.

Kuroo licked his lips and tried to catch his breath, looking up at Bokuto and Akaashi. Kenma was holding himself still inside him, one hand curling over his hip, the other fingers firm around his shoulder. Bokuto was murmuring in Akaashi’s ear, hand moving back down into Kuroo’s hair, gently urging him forward, pressing his face to rest against Akaashi’s chest. After a moment he felt Akaashi’s arm curl around him, fingers meeting with Kenma’s on his hip.

He was surrounded by them, all of them. They knew him. Knew the worst things he’d done, knew and had been hurt by the repercussions of his mistakes. But still they were here, holding him, Kenma gently pulling back and pushing back in, slowly rocking in the most perfect way possible. Kuroo closed his eyes, resting on Akaashi and letting the sensations wash over him. Every touch, every movement of Kenma’s cock, every kiss he placed on Kuroo’s shoulder was a reminder and a promise. Bokuto was talking again and slowly he came to realize that the words were for him now, that Bokuto was moving down to kiss his forehead, murmur in his ear this time. He felt him kiss his eyes and realized, belatedly, that he was crying.

He didn’t know why. He wasn’t sad, wasn’t exactly happy, was just - safe.

Safe, and loved.

Bokuto made a little distressed noise and moved back, but Kenma just kept going without hesitation, murmuring words of his own. Something must’ve calmed Bokuto because he was back, kissing Kuroo’s cheek, whispering in his ear words that Kuroo wanted to believe. A part of him did believe them. He didn’t feel it, not yet, but someday, someday, he would.

Akaashi’s hand slid down, curling around Kuroo’s cock. He wanted to say it wasn’t necessary but it was good, so good. Kenma’s hand tightened on his shoulder, moving closer to his neck. Kuroo closed his eyes again, feeling it as Kenma thrust harder, faster, tilting his hips so that his cock pressed just right deep inside Kuroo’s ass. He wanted this, oh, how he wanted this. Bokutos mouth was hot on his ear, whispering praise and encouragement. Just for this moment he was the center of their world, and they were all he knew.

Knew, and loved.

He felt whole.

Kenma sped up, nails biting into Kuroo’s shoulder. He squeezed around him, skin hypersensitive, unable to silence the little cries and moans that spilled from his lips. It was all just too much, too perfect. It was heat and light and weight inside him, sparks covering his skin, emotions that made him want to boil over in the best way. Every stroke pushed him higher, pulled him to the edge. Kenma was making noise now too, the little grunts and curses that Kuroo loved, sounds that echoed down through all the best memories of times like these. 

“Let go, Kuroo. My Kuroo,” Kenma murmured, moaning as he shuddered and pressed deep inside. Bokuto moved to bite at his neck and Akaashi twisted his hand and Kenma was gone, crying out as he came, warmth flooding Kuroo inside. It was overwhelming and perfect and Kuroo snapped, falling apart and coming undone in these hands, these arms, and letting himself get lost in the pleasure.

For a while, everything went dark.

Or light. 

He couldn’t care. Didn't care. He was floating, happy, relaxed. Hands moved him, lay him out on soft sheets. He heard voices murmur, felt someone move to wrap around him from the front, then an absence of heat at his back which made him frown. The frown was kissed away and he smiled. A towel brushed gently over his body, between his cheeks. Hands moved him again onto his back, washing his front as another mouth kissed him. He liked kisses. Then someone else curled against him, a body he knew almost as well as he knew his own, snuggling against his chest.

“Kenma,” he murmured, hugging the other man to him.

Kenma made a soft noise of assent, and Kuroo opened his eyes.

Bokuto was gone.

No, wait - Kuroo turned over and saw that Akaashi was the man behind him, twisted to kiss Bokuto. There. That was perfect.

Happy. He was happy.

Smiling Kuroo turned back, resting his chin atop Kenma’s head and brushing hands through his lover’s hair. Well, one of his lovers.

“Love,” he whispered, holding Kenma close.

Kenma just nodded, hands squeezing him tight. 

This right here was perfect. This right here was good.


	52. Oh Captain, my Captain

People were nervous when they got to headquarters. It was evident in little things - from the extra care that was taken with the process of getting Oikawa and Iwaizumi visitor badges, the way people were standing up straight and trying to look busy, even the amount of consideration given at their screening before being able to go into the main building.

Akaashi exchanged glances with Bokuto as they traveled up to the squadron’s floor. Then he looked over at Oikawa. Oikawa was nervous too, though it probably wouldn’t’ve been evident to most. The man looked outwardly calm, but Akaashi saw it in the way his chin was held a little to high, lips pursed with an arrogance that seemed to mask inner worry. He also saw it in the way Iwaizumi was leaning closer to Oikawa as they held their own private conversation. 

Neither Akaashi or Iwaizumi were officially invited to meetings today, but he had a feeling that Iwaizumi would be joining Oikawa wherever he went. There was a protectiveness in Iwaizumi’s eyes whenever he looked at the other man that Akaashi recognized. 

He felt the same sort of protectiveness for Bokuto. Unfortunately, it was quite possible that there would be meetings today that Akaashi would be unable to attend. There were sometimes drawbacks to being official employees of Fukurodani. Still, his presence was important. If nothing else, he could hang out with other squad members and try to figure out what was going on that had everyone so keyed up.

Although, he thought, at least part of the answer to that was evident as soon as they entered doors of the squad room. Bokuto’s eyes grew wide as he surveyed the people standing outside their boss’s office - two guards in white and gold uniforms. They were armed with swords and held themselves in a way that made them seem both completely aloof and completely aware of everything going on in the room. Yamiji’s door opened and two women stepped out, also in white and gold. They looked like identical twins, tall and slender with straight ash-blonde hair pulled back into simple ponytails. The guards stepped aside deferentially as the two women exchanged words, one turning to head deeper down the hallways that led to the office’s meeting rooms and the other walking towards the four of them.

Ah, no, Akaashi realized. She was heading for the door.

They were quick to get out of her way. She paused a moment, looking at Oikawa. She was as tall as he was, with eyes that Akaashi now saw were grey. Glancing away she continued into the hall, trailed by one of the guards.

When she was gone, Akaashi let out a breath. 

“Who were they?” Iwaizumi asked.

“Looked like representatives from headquarters,” Bokuto answered.

Iwaizumi’s brow furrowed. “But I thought this was the headquarters for Fukurodani here?”

“It is,” Bokuto murmured, “but they’re from the main office. Of all of Fukurodani corporation.”

“Oh,” Iwaizumi said.

The look in Oikawa’s eyes was hard as steel as his glanced followed the woman. Something made Akaashi very glad that Iwaizumi was there with him. It was possible the representatives were here for something else, but not likely, given the attention the woman had paid to them. Having representatives here added a whole other layer of complexity to the situation. 

Well, nothing he could do about it now.

They followed Bokuto over to Yukie’s office. Akaashi chose to stand near the wall as Bokuto took a seat, greeting her with enthusiasm.

“Hey hey hey!” Bokuto said, hugging her. “Exciting day, eh?”

She managed to chuckle. “Yeah, you can call it that. Oh, Oikawa, I’m glad you’re here - good to see you again. I just got word your meeting has been changed to - ah - I’ll just have someone come up to take you to your room, it’s outside the office and things can be a bit of a maze.”

Oikawa nodded as she called someone, barely glancing at Iwaizumi.

Akaashi rested his hands behind his back, glancing out into the main squad room. He and Bokuto had once shared a desk out there, though normally they’d been out on assignment. The ship had been a new thing, a test. He wondered if they’d keep it, or be moved back here. He wondered if Kuroo and Kenma would get a desk as well if they were demoted. So many worrying possibilities. 

He couldn’t do anything about it.

A woman came and collected Oikawa, only mildly disturbed that Iwaizumi quietly but firmly insisted on joining them. Bokuto and Yukie talked about things of no importance, random conversation that did nothing to disguise the fact that they were both on edge.

It helped though. Akaashi was grateful; he knew Bokuto was worried but felt less than adequate at helping offset his potential bad mood in times where he himself was nervous. Seeing their old classmates helped calm him. Konoha was outside studying something on a screen in front of him, Komi buzzing around him with excitement. He didn’t see Onaga or Washio, but they - ah, there they were, coming in deep in conversation, waving at him when they caught sight of him in Yukie’s office. They joined Konoha, glancing down at whatever he was looking at. 

None of them seemed worried. He was glad. Komi had turned to Onaga, talking to him at breakneck speed about something. It was so normal, such an everyday sight. Akaashi felt himself relax, and considered taking a seat beside Bokuto.

Then Yukie got a message. “Ah,” she said. “They’re ready for you, Bokuto. Room 3B.”

“They?” Akaashi said at the same moment Bokuto said, “Can Akaashi come?”

Yukie gave Akaashi a shielded look before saying, “Sorry, Bokuto. Just you. Akaashi will have to wait out here.”

Bokuto sighed and looked down. For a moment, Akaashi worried the news would pull him down into a slump - the last thing that needed to happen before he met with Yamiji and whoever else was waiting for him. Then Bokuto straightened, giving him a tight but honest grin and a nod before standing and walking out Yukie’s door.

The other two occupants of the room were quiet for a moment after he left.

“Don’t worry,” Yukie said, but they both knew the words were empty of any real meaning.

He turned to look at her. “Who else is meeting with him?”

She frowned at him. “I’m not really supposed to say. You know that,” she said, then gave a little sigh and glanced at the open door. “Yamiji is there, of course. But when all the arrests were made Vice President Zuku got interested. He’s been down here talking with Yamiji every day since he found out. I don’t think he’s very happy about things. And then the two from the main office swooped in, though I don’t have a read on them yet. Aiko and Emiko Ryukyu. I think Bokuto’s meeting with Emiko. I don’t see why anything should blow back on you all though. Your investigation yielded results, we arrested everyone important.”

“Not Nohebi,” Akaashi murmured.

“Well, yes, but they weren’t the ones that put Fukurodani at risk.”

That was true. The ones put at risk had been his team, not all of the corporation. 

“Besides,” she continued, “We did capture Sakijima. Nohebi sent a lawyer for him, but I doubt even the best lawyer will help him in any significant way.”

“A lawyer?” Akaashi asked, frowning.

Yukie nodded. “She came in on a ship this morning. Went straight to where he’s being held, demanded to meet with him. I think she’s already filing things. Lawyers.”

Akaashi nodded. For a moment he was worried, then he sighed. He couldn’t do anything about that either. So many things he couldn’t do a thing about. His fingers intertwined, fidgeting. He glanced out into the main area again. “What’s Konoha so interested in? New case?” he asked.

“What? Oh, ah, hmm.”

That made him curious, and he looked over at her, noticing the way she wasn’t looking at him. She didn’t look upset though, more curious than anything else. Then she shrugged. “It’s new. Just a hypothetical that was released. Another ship, like the one you have now but bigger, more like a mobile squad rather than just a small four-man team like yours. It’s all pretty hush-hush, though. No telling if they’re even planning to pilot the project here.”

“Ah,” Akaashi said. He thought about it. The ship had come in handy during their investigation, there was no doubt about that. He imagined what it would’ve been like if they’d had access to more manpower. It would’ve been better. Easier. There were too many times when they’d been spread too thin with just the four of them, forced to rely on outsiders. He didn’t mind Karasuno at all; most of them were with the Confederacy anyhow. He’d also come to respect Seijou. But he still wasn’t too happy about having to use Tendou’s skills. It had been helpful, probably saved his life if the reports were to be believed, but it had also opened them up to risk.

Of course, it had never been intended for their case to expand to the point where they needed additional support, and the others had come in to help at the end. But to have had that level of support from the beginning -

Things might’ve been quite a bit easier.

“It sounds like a good idea,” Akaashi said.

“Just a pipe dream right now,” Yukie said. “But, you never know.”

Akaashi nodded, glancing back out at Komi and the others. It struck him, as he watched their antics, that he missed them. Missed working with them, the easy teamwork they’d had together during their days at the academy. He was a bit put out that he hadn't been able to really work with any of them at the tail end of the case. 

Maybe someday they’d all get the chance to work together again.

Though that depended on there being a future where Akaashi and Bokuto were still working together with this office, under Yamiji’s leadership. 

Worry crept back up and Akaashi sucked in a breath, reaching inside himself for a space of calm. He couldn't do anything about much of anything right at this moment, and that was frustrating. He couldn't’ do much, couldn't’ change much, couldn’t go down and barge into the meeting and demand things that would ensure that everything turned out alright.

But he could be present here. He could keep watch, and wait. And he could hope.

~~~~~

Oikawa was not terribly surprised when he was ushered into the meeting room and saw the blond woman, her guard standing in the corner of the room.

She glanced up at him, then back down at her screen. “Oikawa Tooru,” she said. “My meeting is with you, not your companion.”

Iwaizumi stiffened next to him.

“It was my understanding that I’d been called here to speak about a deal that concerned all of Seijou, not just me,” Oikawa said. “Iwaizumi is my second, and so that means he gets to be a part of all official negotiations.”

He was bluffing a bit. It wasn’t like there’d ever been any official negotiations before, after all. Back when they’d been all about the games, Irihata had been the one doing any negotiating. But Irihata wasn’t their leader now. He was. There was no way he’d make decisions that affected the whole team without Iwaizumi, not anymore.

Glancing over at his best friend, he was thankful to see the small nod Iwaizumi gave him. Not that he needed the reassurance, of course.

It was just nice.

The woman sighed and squeezed the bridge of her nose, waving her hand. “Very well,” she said, leaning back. “I can deal with both of you. Will the other members of your gang be bound by your word?”

Oikawa exchanged glances with Iwaizumi. “Yes,” he said, only feeling slightly guilty at the claim. It was true, anyhow. He knew they’d all follow him wherever he led. Their actions over the last few days had proved that. 

It was a weighty responsibility, and one he was glad Iwaizumi would help him carry.

“Alright then, have a seat. My name, by the way, is Ryukyu. Ryukyu Emiko. You may or may not know that I am a representative of the Ruling Council of the Fukurodani Corporation, and have the authority to negotiate and finalize deals up to a certain level. That level is sufficient to cover anything we may discuss here today.”

Oikawa moved forward and sat, meeting the gaze that she directed at him. Iwaizumi sat next to him, and Oikawa watched as the woman’s gaze settled on the other man for a moment longer than he would’ve liked. Iwaizumi said nothing, however.

Neither did Oikawa or the woman, not for a long moment.

Finally, she broke the silence. “Your actions have caused quite a stir. The press hasn’t heard much yet, but it’s only a matter of time before the story comes out. When that happens, it’s very important that we shape the narrative so that it has the best impact for all concerned.”

Of course. Politics. Oikawa wanted to scowl at her, but he just kept the same look on his face. He had responsibilities, after all.

“The most important thing,” ehs said, “is to head off any unrest among the populace here on Aoba.”

No, the most important thing was to make sure that children got the medicine they needed. 

Something of this thought must have shown in his eyes, because Emiko raised an eyebrow at him before continuing. “We recognize Seijou’s contributions in helping to uncover these problems within our organization. We would like to reward those contributions, provided we’re all able to stay on the same page.”

Oikawa frowned. “You want us to lie about what happened?”

Raising an eyebrow, she said, “Lie? In small ways, perhaps. Then again, if the truth is misinterpreted by the masses, is it really truth anymore?”

Bitterness spread through him at that. He glanced over at Iwaizumi, wishing he could drop his hand down and interlace their fingers. 

“As you know,” Emiko said, “there are elements here on Aoba who take issue with Fukurodani’s authority.”

“Because you do things like sell placebos to children and bankrupt their families?” Oikawa asked, unable to hold back any longer.

She tilted her head to the side, considering this. “That was a unique incident, and the perpetrators will be brought to justice. It is not indicative of Fukurodani as a whole, or the corporation’s ability to ensure the prosperity of the planet and its residents.”

Oikawa could think of plenty of other ways that the corporation wasn’t ensuring the prosperity of the residents of Aoba, but he chose his words carefully. “What is it that you want from us?”

“We wish to get ahead of things. Ensure that the public knows that the incident in question was not condoned by Fukurodani, and that we are committed to rooting out corruption within our ranks. You had no issue working with our employees to resolve the issue; from all accounts your team worked rather well with them. All we want to do is adjust the timeline a bit. Tell the right people that you were working with us from the beginning. This will allow us to justify the crimes perpetrated both by your group and also by the woman who assisted you.”

“What?” Oikawa said, trying to wrap his mind around it.

“In essence,” Emiko said, “it would play out as if you’d done what you should’ve done in the beginning. When you suspected that there was corruption, you came to the authorities here at headquarters.”

“And they decided to do something about the problem rather than cover it up?” he asked, unable to keep the sarcasm from his voice.

She waved it away. “Yes,” she said. “You volunteered yourself and your friends to act in an elaborate scheme to draw out the perpetrators of such corruption. As such, the woman - Suzumeda, correct? - would not be guilty of betraying corporate secrets to outsiders, but rather she could be seen as the person on the inside assisting you in your mission. The theft that you are all guilty of was not truly a theft, seeing as how it was done under the sanction of the corporation.”

It sounded good, but it didn’t sit right with him. “So Fukurodani is seen as being proactive when it comes to correcting corruption.”

“Exactly. Which we are, even if some things do fall through the cracks. But the more we show our willingness to go above and beyond to both discover and punish the perpetrators of said corruption, the less corruption there will be in our ranks.”

Oikawa locked gazes with her for a moment, seeing nothing but cool practicality in her eyes. He couldn’t tell if she was lying or not. Somehow he doubted that the ruling council was against corruption because they were benevolent. He could, however, see them as a group that would want to punish any of their underlings that got out of line. 

“So what’s the catch?” Iwaizumi asked.

Emiko’s bottom lip pushed out in a quick frown. “The catch?” she asked, pondering a moment. “Ah, well. The catch, as I suppose you’d call it, is that you all would need to leave Aoba 5 for a while. Not long, probably only a few years. Long enough so that some of the more rebellious factions here don’t think they can use you as figureheads because of what you did.”

Leave Aoba 5? Their home? It was like a sucker punch to the gut. All of their friends, all of their resources were here. It would be exile. “That doesn’t seem very -” Oikawa started.

“I’m not finished,” she interrupted. “In recognition for what you did accomplish and as compensation for your time offplanet, we would like to offer you and your gang an opportunity. Something to do while offplanet. Well, for as long as you like, really. We would like to offer you a ship.”

“A ship,” Oikawa said.

“Yes. One of our latest models, with sufficient capacity to house your entire group. You would not be working directly for us as employees, of course. That, I’m afraid, is out of the question. However, you would have safe passage at any of our ports - well, other than here. Considering the skills you showed during this, ah, adventure, it may be that we would have offers of employment for you in the future as well.”

“And you’d expect us to take them?” asked Oikawa.

Emiko shrugged. “I’m sure there would be no reason to refuse.”

Oikawa mulled that over, frowning. “So in essence, we would be available to you for jobs that the corporation couldn’t officially touch.”

Frowning, she shrugged. “If you want to put it so crudely, yes.”

“We’re not going to -”

“We are well aware of your moral compunctions,” she said, voice sharp. “As well as your willingness to cross the line under certain circumstances. Rest assured that we are in the habit of using the right tool for whatever task lies in front of us, and our tools are well compensated.”

He didn’t feel very assured. Didn’t trust her in the least. 

“The other option,” said Emiko, looking down at the tablet in front of her, “is to act according to the bare facts and censor the story told to the press. You and your group would be prosecuted for your theft, and Suzumeda would bear the consequences for her actions as well. She probably wouldn’t get any prison time, because the Confederation is well aware of her assistance here. However, seeing as that she is still indentured to the corporation for the next six years, she would be transferred to a position far less desirable than her current one. You and your gang would receive prison time, quite possibly at different facilities.”

She spoke the words as easily as if she was ordering coffee. Bitch.

Oikawa wasn’t often moved to physical violence, but he wanted to wipe the calm look off her face. He pushed the desire away. That would do him no good. Instead he glanced at Iwaizumi, thinking over their options. Prison or Exile. Well, exile with a ship, a good ship. A Fukurodani ship, which meant that the corporation would always be able to keep tabs on them, but still. It wasn’t a bad option. It was better than prison, that was for sure. But still...

“What about the children?” Oikawa asked.

That question startled her. “I’m sorry?” 

“The victims. The families that were forced to sell everything to buy this medicine that did nothing. The children in facilities where the care is almost inhuman, where they’re considered less than human because they’re nonresponsive. All the other children who are getting sick. What about them?”

For a moment, he wondered if he saw a flicker of compassion in her gaze. Then it was gone.

“They’ll be taken care of,” she said. “The shipment you procured is being prepared for distribution at no charge. The medical facilities will be reviewed so that those who are past the treatable stage of the illness will have the finest care, and families will be compensated for their losses, both financial and emotional. The estates of those involved in the incident will be used to help finance everything. We have no desire to injure your people or their families. It’s bad for business, after all.”

Bad for business.

Well, that and now that the Confederation knew, it probably wasn’t something that could just be swept under the rug.

Still, he breathed a little easier.

“So what is your decision?” Emiko asked.

Oikawa glanced over at Iwaizumi, who nodded. Turning back to the woman, he said, “Well, I suppose you can just call me Captain Oikawa from now on.”

Under the table, Iwaizumi hit him.


	53. Facing the Music

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok SO FIRST OFF sorry for taking a massive long unplanned hiatus on this fic. I've been dealing with a lot of rl stuff, and had trouble focusing enough to pull this first chapter together (plus I wanted to make sure that everything fit in line). 
> 
> Please let me know if anything is off. I feel a little rusty after the time spent away, so it's possible I missed something (though hopefully nothing major). I really appreciate all the comments I've gotten, and the encouragement I've received from reader's messaging me on tumblr. I hope the new chapter does the rest of the fic (and your expectations) justice.
> 
> That being said, enjoy!

There was nothing for him to do.

That wasn’t entirely true. He could probably be up on the bridge, helping Tendou search for Daishou. He could probably be talking with Yaku, figuring out what they would do once they got back to Aleph. Maybe even see if Kuroo needed any help checking over the equipment, fixing all the little dings and scrapes and bumps that the cycles had accumulated during their chases, trying to figure out if there was anything salvageable in Kenma’s helmet after the acid had eaten at it.

Kenma could be helping. He was better with the electronics, after all.

But he didn’t feel like it.

Instead he just felt a little numb.

He had wandered off into one of the service corridors of the ship, and was sitting against the wall in a corner, ducked underneath a stray pipe. Coolant, he was pretty sure it carried. It felt cool to the touch at least. Not that that made much of a difference. 

One of his older handhelds rested in his lap. He hadn’t turned it on in years. For a moment he wondered if the battery would even work. It was possible that the device had become corrupted somewhere along their long journey. It had been stuck at the bottom of all their bags and suitcases over the years, wrapped in a shielded bag just in case anyone knew enough to try and track it. 

But that didn’t matter anymore. They’d been found.

Taking in a deep breath he brushed a thumb over its activation panel, feeling the nanites in his skin respond to the inquiry sent out by other nanites trapped within. His nanites. This was his machine, after all, and only two people in the universe could access it. Nekomata wasn’t around to try.

Nekomata had given it to him on the day when he swore the oath to Nekoma. The first pictures that came up on the screen were images of the celebration that had followed. Kuroo playing a game with Yaku, acting all intense over a simple game of Shogi. Yamamoto and Inuoka playing a prank on Naoi, then running away in terror when everything backfired. Kai sitting in the corner, eyes wide in wonder as he flipped through the machine Nekomata had given him that projected holograms of all the different ships in the known galaxy. 

It would be good to see Kai again.

Then there was the most special file, the one where Fukunaga had escaped the crowd, glancing back as if hoping for him to follow. It wasn’t that Fukunaga got overwhelmed in social situations. Not like Kenma did. But Fukunaga knew him. Fukunaga had loved him, he knew. Had known that Kuroo was always first in Kenma’s heart, but Fukunaga’s love had never been the jealous kind.

Kenma remembered that night, curling up together on the cool surface of a rock in the back corner of one of Nekomata’s gardens. Fukunaga had taken the handheld from him, silently asking permission before exploring the files until he found the program he wanted. Then, hesitantly, he’d opened his mouth and begun to sing.

Kenma slid his way through the defenses on the handheld and opened the program, unlocking the song and letting it play. Fukunaga’s voice was low and scratchy from lack of use. Even when they were alone, the other man rarely spoke out loud. But the melody was pure, and soft, and made Kenma’s heart ache with the memory of home. 

A circle of wetness dropped on the screen of the handheld and Kenma frowned, glancing up to see if condensation had been gathering on the pipe above. There was nothing, though. Wonderingly, he brought his fingers up to his own cheeks, feeling the wetness there.

He played the song again.

When they went back, he’d be able to see all of them again. He felt the depth of his own betrayal deep within his heart. Well, maybe more abandonment than betrayal. But he’d seen the pain he’d caused in Yaku’s eyes, in Lev’s tentativeness. He’d broken sacred trust by leaving with Kuroo. He’d do it again, would always choose Kuroo over anyone else, even himself - but these were the friends he’d grown up with. The man who’d taken him in and mentored him. The men who had seen his potential and pushed him outside himself in order to reach it. None of them had judged him for his mixed blood, either; instead they had thought it an advantage, even if it meant he wasn’t as strong as the rest of them. They were his friends. They were his team.

Leaving them had been necessary, but it had ripped a wound in his side, a wound he wasn’t sure could ever be healed.

A sudden sound made Kenma huddle back against the wall, turning the handheld off and pulling his knees to the chest. He heard the sound of footsteps and humming, and then the person stopped in front of him, one hand on the pipe as he crouched down and looked at Kenma.

“Oh!” Shouyou said, giving him a grin. “There you are.”

Kenma blinked at him. Shouyou radiated a carefree happiness. He didn’t seem to think there was anything odd in finding Kenma curled up in a corner in the bowels of the ship. Instead he just plopped right down, crossing his legs and resting his elbows on his knees as he leaned forward, chin in his hands. 

“I was wondering where you were,” Shouyou said. “I just got done with some work back home, and Daichi said I could come over here and see how you all were doing. I was hoping to see you. Did you know I get to go up to the orbiting ship soon? They want to train me on the access protocols. I might even get to learn how to pilot a ship! That’d be so awesome, I could just go zooom and gah and run circles around asteroids - well, maybe not that because of fuel and all, but they say some people need to know how to pilot ships in the asteroid fields in case fugitives try and hide there. It’s not technically under Fukurodani jurisdiction because it’s off planet, even though they mine out there.”

Kenma nodded, eyes opening in wonder at the stream of words escaping the redhead’s mouth.

“You know what I want to see most, though?”

Kenma shook his head.

“The sun,” Shouyou said, shrugging. “Oh, I know, it’s just a star. And you’ve probably seen hundreds - no, thousands of em yourself. But I’ve never been offplanet before. I’ve only ever seen pictures of the sun from outer space in the holos. I want to see the real thing.”

“Oh?” Kenma asked.

“Yeah,” the other man answered, tilting his head to the side. “My mom used to tell me that no matter what the weather was like, the sun always stays the same. She said every day is really a sunny day. Just because we can’t see it doesn’t mean it isn’t true.”

That made sense.

Shouyou shrugged, putting his hands behind him and leaning back. “You know, when I was still pretty young, there were some people who tried rebelling against Fukurodani. Even succeeded in taking over one of the bigger outstation out there on the plain. That’s one reason why things are so desolate out there now. But for months afterwards, even here in the city we faced strict rationing and curfews. They said it was to help them make sure that none of the rebels were active in the city, but it never felt like that. It always felt like punishment for something we had no control over. My dad had worked in at one of the companies that helped manage the mining concerns out in the mountains. After the rebellion, though, the only work the offered him was to go off planet and work at one of those mines out on the asteroids. He’d the one who sent me some of those holos of the sun. I have five of them.”

There was a darkness in Shouyou’s eyes for a moment that didn’t belong there. Kenma frowned, wanting to pull his friend back from whatever dark corridors of memory he was walking down, but then the redhead looked at him and smiled. “You can’t change the weather, you know. It’s out of your control. Can’t tell the wind to stop blowing, or the rain to stop falling. But that’s ok, because the sun is still there, and no wind can ever blow hard enough to ever change it. Ya know?”

A slow smile curled the edges of Kenma’s mouth, just a bit. “Yes, Shouyou.”

“Good! So, uh, they told me that you guys have to take a trip for a while after this, go back to your home planet and stuff, right? If we don’t get the chance to say a real goodbye later - just in case they pull me away or something, you know how Kiyoko can be - I just wanted to tell you to hurry back. I mean, I know we’ve been cooperating on this and all, but most of the time did you know that we sometimes compete against you guys on cases? I mean, low-key of course. After all, we’re all out to catch the bad guys. But a lot of times you run your investigation and we run ours, and even if we help each other it’s all a race to see who can get to the truth faster.”

“Like a game,” Kenma said.

“Exactly!” said Shouyou. “Like, there’s no way you would’ve been able to take down Ushijima without my awesome skills.”

Kenma scowled. “We might’ve. I didn’t even get to fight him.”

“Ah, but facing off against Tendou? He beat you, didn’t he?”

“Maybe,” Kenma admitted. “The first round, at least. But I got him later - and you wouldn’t’ve even known about the case if we hadn’t shared it with you.”

“Well, true,” Shouyou said, grinning. “So maybe this was kinda, a draw?”

“Yes,” Kenma said.

“But next time - there is going to be a next time - next time we’ll know better what we’re doing, all of us, so it’ll be even closer. Then we can really test our skills.”

Kenma leaned forward, smile widening. “Yes.”

“So you’d better come back soon, you hear?” Shouyou said, pushing up to stand and extending a hand toward Kenma. “Otherwise I’ll get so good there’s no way you could ever beat me.”

Huffing out a laugh, Kenma nodded. “I will be,” he said, taking the other man’s hand. 

Grinning at him, Shouyou pulled him up, squeezing his hand. 

“Good,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it.”

~~~~~~~~

Bokuto took a deep breath, thankful that the door to the meeting room wasn’t see-through. He wasn’t sure what awaited him inside. He could take it. They’d succeeded. They’d uncovered something horrible, and put a stop to it. It would be alright. 

His team needed him.

He had to be alright.

Lifting his chin, he pushed open the door.

“So nice of you to join us, Bokuto-san,” said one of the men seated behind the table.

President Zuku. The man currently in charge of all the Fukurodani operations on Aoba 5. He was an older man, even older than Yamiji, who sat at his left. A woman with long blonde hair sat at his right. One of the women from the main office.

“Sorry to have kept you waiting, sir,” Bokuto said, bowing for a moment before hazarding a quick glance up at Yamiji. 

“That’s alright,” Zuku said. “I hear you’ve been busy.”

“Yes, sir,” Bokuto replied. There was a chair on his side of the table, but no one asked him to sit. None of the people on the other side of the table looked happy to be there.

Anxiety started to grip his chest. Slow breaths. He had to take slow breaths. He looked at Yamiji, who held his gaze for the few moments it take to help him get back on steady ground.

Even if Akaashi wasn’t here, Yamiji was in his corner. Yamiji would always be in his corner. This would be alright.

The woman tapped her handheld. “We would like for you to recount for us the events of your current case, Bokuto-san,” she said, looking up at him with eyes as gold as his own. 

It was hard to read anything in those eyes. For a moment he wanted to falter - but there was too much at stake.

Slowly, succinctly, he told his story. “We received a case reporting a shipment of stolen narcotics, and located the suspects in the case.”

“Oikawa Tooru and his associates?” she asked.

Bokuto nodded. “We apprehended Oikawa and some of his associates.”

“Some you let escape,” Zuku said.

Keeping his eyes on the ground, Bokuto said, “Yes sir.”

“And then later, you were - what - captured by these lowlifes? Common thugs, aren’t they?”

Bokuto swallowed.

“If you will permit, Zuku-san, I would like to hear his account in order,” the woman said.

“Aiko -”

“You may address me as Ryukyu-san, sir,” the woman said. Her voice was even, but it felt like the temperature dropped several degrees. At this point, he was almost afraid to look up.

Silence reigned in the room for a few moments until the woman spoke again.

“You may continue, Bokuto-san.”

He glanced up at Yamiji, then continued. “Upon inspecting the belongings of the Seijou members, we retrieved evidence that pointed to the possibility that there might be more to the case than met the eye. One of our concerns was that the case might point to corruption within the company, and so I came here and met with Yamiji-san about the best possible course of action. We determined that it would be best to run this as covertly as possible -”

“Which he should have cleared through me!” Zuku said.

Yamiji’s chair creaked as he moved. “And again, I apologize most profusely for not informing you sooner, sir.”

Bokuto paused to see if they would say more, and then continued. “Upon leaving headquarters, I was able to make contact with the other members of Seijou that were still in the city.”

Zuku scoffed, but didn’t say a word.

“We were able to arrange a meeting with all of the interested parties, and decided to let one group exit the city to locate the shipment and associated evidence, while the other group stayed behind to monitor the situation here.”

“And you involved those damn Confederation dogs as well, didn’t you,” Zuku spat out.

“Crows, sir,” Bokuto said, biting back the words as soon as they exited his mouth.

“Excuse me?”

“I believe that they are the crows.”

“Are you trying to get smart -”

“He’s right, actually,” Ryukyu said. “I had a meeting with Shimizu-san last night and she informed me that the local group of confederation employees are, indeed, often referred to as the crows. Interesting choice, but I suppose since we share an avian mascot, there isn’t much room for judgement. Wouldn’t you say, Bokuto-san?”

He glanced up at her, again finding nothing soft in her golden eyes. Still, so far she’d been fair. It was possible she just really didn’t like President Zuku, but at this point he would take what he got.

“Yes ma’am,” he said, nodding and looking down again.

“Excellent. Go on.”

“I was a part of the away team. We were able to retrieve the necessary information to confirm an internal plot at one of the medical branches of the corporation. There was a bounty hunting group who had been hired by some of the people involved in the conspiracy, but once the Confederation agent with us confirmed our information and revoked the warrant, the group acted as assistance in returning some members of the team to the city.”

“Because, as I understand,” Ryukyu said, “Another of your team members had been kidnapped.”

“Yes ma’am,” Bokuto said. “Akaashi-san and Kuroo-san had located a key witness to the case here in the city. They were in the process of taking her to safety when they were ambushed. Akaashi-san was taken prisoner by another group who had been hired by the conspirators, in an effort to impede our investigation.”

“I see,” Ryukyu said. “And as I understand it, you were able to retrieve him and uncover evidence of the illegal import of controlled lifeforms, on top of all the other crimes perpetrated by the conspirators. Very very disturbing.”

“Yes ma’am.”

“I believe that all of the Fukurodani employees involved have either been captured or are now deceased?”

Bokuto swallowed. “Yes ma’am.”

“And all but two of the members of this second group - Nohebi? I believe they’re called? - are now in custody as well?”

“Yes ma’am.”

“Good,” she said.

“But -” Zuku started to say.

“It’s very disturbing,” Ryukyu said, ignoring Zuku’s outburst, “that such a conspiracy was perpetrated here on Aoba 5. My father, especially, considers it to be a problem of the highest magnitude. We have been entrusted with safeguarding this planet - these people, valued citizens of the Confederation of Planets - and making sure that their wellbeing and the wellbeing of this planet is protected. If the final goals of these conspirators would have been realized, and the news made public, well. The worst might have happened. After all, if we cannot be trusted to control our own employees, how can we be entrusted with an entire planet’s populace?”

Bokuto glanced up. Zuku skin was shading from the red of anger to something much more ashen.

“Ah, that is, I,” he stammered, glancing at Bokuto.

“Of course, of course,” Ryukyu said, nodding calmly. “You had no clue. None of their supervisors knew as well. These people were evidently quite secretive, and well-funded, from all accounts. There is no need to worry. No one suspects you of any wrongdoing, Zuku-san.”

Glancing at Yamiji, Bokuto suddenly came to understand that even if Zuku was innocent, he probably wouldn’t be in charge of the planet much longer. Partly because of the conspiracy - but also, Bokuto realized, because of Yamiji’s own actions. It must’ve been a big risk not to tell Zuku what was going on. Yamiji might’ve lost his position. They all might’ve - 

But instead, it seemed that Ryukyu was treating this as though Zuku was a leader who had not only been blind to a malignancy in his own power structure, but also a leader who had lost the respect of those who followed him. That lack of respect, from Bokuto’s point of view, was well deserved.

But still, it wasn’t Bokuto’s call to make. 

Damn, he wished Akaashi was here. Akaashi was always so much better at all of this than he was. This type of political stuff gave him a headache.

“So,” Ryukyu said, “I must commend you and your team, Yamiji-san, for displaying to both the Confederation of Planets and the Aoban people that corruption in our ranks will be rooted out and destroyed. For that, we must thank you.”

Bokuto nodded, starting to relax.

“However,” she said, “There are a few things that trouble me about your account.”

“Oh?” Bokuto asked, tensing up again.

“Yes. For instance, it appears that you gave unauthorized systems access to members of Seijou, who were still under warrant. Also, I believe that you gave similar access to members of Shiratorizawa, is that correct?”

“A - ah - yes ma’am,” Bokuto said.

“Now, fortunately enough, those systems had been firewalled from most classified Fukurodani records by your teammate - what is his name, ah, Kozume-san. Yes. However, because of this, the systems on your ship have been compromised and it is no longer fit to be used as a company vehicle. You and your team will, therefore, be removed from the vessel.”

That hit like a blow. They were going to lose the ship? Their new ship? The one that had just started to feel like home?

“Also, several of your actions, while effective, skirted past any acceptable parameters for Fukurodani associates. As such, you will be placed on leave for six months while your future assignments are determined.”

He did look up at that. Six months? Their assignments - “Do you mean - Akaashi and I - Kuroo, Kenma, we might -”

Yamiji tapped his hand against the tabletop. It was quiet, but enough to remind Bokuto that what he had said was out of line.

“I am sorry, ma’am,” Bokuto said, hanging his head.

“As I said,” Ryukyu said, voice still even, “your future assignments have yet to be determined. However, at the present time, know that your acts of heroism and bravery have been recognized by your corporation. As such, you and the others involved in ensuring that the conspiracy was rooted out will be publicly recognized so that the people of Aoba 5 will know how much we care for their wellbeing. Any censure will, of course, be kept completely private - yes?”

Bokuto swallowed. “Yes ma’am,” he said. They would be held up as heroes so that no one blamed the company - even if they would end up paying for the choices that made their victory possible. Still, it was the life he’d been born to, and the life Akaashi had agreed to as well.

He only hoped that Oikawa and the rest of Seijou were getting a similar deal.

“Bokuto-san,” Ryukyu said, voice gentler this time.

“Yes ma’am?” he said, glancing up.

Her gold eyes were just a touch warmer than they had been before. “I hope that, in time, you will come to have a deeper trust of those who lead you. Ah - no - don't interrupt. This corporation only works when all of us - from the lowliest employee to my father and the other members of the board - are able to work together in full harmony, each dedicated to the success of us all. Your actions, and those of your team, reflect the spirit that is at the core of this success, with your passion for justice and your dedication toward each other. I trust that, in time, the Fukurodani corporation will be able to reap the full benefit of all that has been entrusted and invested in you and your team, so that we may all achieve an even higher degree of excellence.”

“Ah,” Bokuto said, blinking. “Yes ma’am.”

“Good,” she said, glancing down at her tablet. “Then, if there is nothing else, I believe you are dismissed.

Bokuto glanced at the other two men in the room. President Zuku still seemed shaken. Yamiji was quietly proud. He nodded at Bokuto, tilting his chin towards the door.

Bowing, Bokuto turned and escaped, rushing to tell Akaashi about all that had happened in the meeting.


	54. Owl Captain, my Captain (E)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> OK! so this is theoretically HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOKUTO even though I'm a few minutes late in my timezone. And in celebration, it is one of those rated E chapters.... and the next scene is probably also going to be rated E *snickers* but in a different way.
> 
> And here I thought that there wasn't going to be any more smut in this story.
> 
> OH WELL.
> 
> BTW life is killing me with business, but I do have this planned out, and it's getting very close to completion. JUST SAYIN. 
> 
> Soon, and very soon.
> 
> (and then, the sequel)

Bokuto was fidgeting, shifting his weight from one side of his body to the other. 

It made Kuroo nervous. They were both sitting on the edge of the bed in Bokuto and Akaashi’s room. Akaashi had chosen to sit in the chair across from them. He was staring at Bokuto with a face that was deceptively calm.

Finally, Kuroo broke. “Can you just tell us something? Are you ok? You’re freakin' me out here, Bo -”

“Not until Kenma’s here!” Bokuto replied, frowning down at his twisting hands. “This is about all four of us, so all four of us need to be here.”

Kuroo sighed. He couldn’t really argue with that. The lack of his best friend’s presence was starting to get to him as well.

The door slid open.

“Sorry,” Kenma muttered, stepping inside the room. “We had a possible lead -”

“Lead? Did someone see them?” Bokuto asked.

“No - ah, well. We aren’t sure. There was a last-minute shuttle carrying cargo up to the ship that Sakijima’s lawyer came in on. It scanned clean, though.”

“Oh,” Bokuto said, sighing. 

Kuroo was pretty sure they all felt the same letdown. He hated knowing that three of the snakes were still out there. At least they were safe here on their ship, but the thought of any of them going outside made him anxious. He’d had a moment of panic earlier where he’d had to call Akaashi at headquarters just to make sure they were alright.

“So, ah,” Bokuto said, “Now that we’re all here, I can talk to you about my meeting.”

He still looked nervous as he spoke, pulled back to give Kenma room to sit on the bed between them. Kenma didn’t take the bait, though. Instead, he just moved to stand behind Akaashi, watching them. 

Kuroo had to stop himself from asking a dozen questions. Evidently, they weren’t in too much trouble. Well hopefully? Bokuto was still here after all. The silence stretched on between them and Kuroo shifted, trying to be patient as Bokuto collected his thoughts.

Finally, he took in a breath. “Well,” he said. “Ah, good news, you know that vacation we talked about? Going to see Akaashi’s folks, going to the beach? Well, it looks like we get to take it.”

“What?” Akaashi asked.

“Yeah, um. We have, uh, a leave of absence, I guess you could say.”

Kuroo’s eyes widened. “You get to come with us after all, then? I mean, to Aleph - did you ask -”

Something on Bokuto’s face stopped him, though, twisting up his gut. He was pretty sure Bokuto hadn’t asked for this.

Shrugging, Bokuto looked away. “Ah. It’s to give them time to figure out where we’re going to be assigned next.”

“Oh.”

“I got the feeling,” Bokuto said, “that it was up in the air as to whether or not we’d be assigned together.”

That sank like a stone in Kuroo’s stomach. “They can’t break us up,” he said, leaning forward and catching Bokuto’s hand.

“Yeah, yeah,” Bokuto said, glancing between him and Kenma. “I mean, I know the two of you are technically freelancers, so they couldn’t split you up. You could just quit. But Akaashi and I are still under contract -”

“No,” Kuroo said, trying to put as much force as he could into the words. “They can’t break us up. We won’t let them. We’re a team, even if we have to go out on our own -”

“It’s not that easy, Kuroo -”

“It will be.”

Bokuto stared at him like he needed to believe in the truth of every word Kuroo spoke. He’d make it true. No matter what.

“It would be foolish to try and break us up, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi murmured. “We are an effective, well-balanced team. You are an excellent commander. The work we did for this case was important, and has allowed the corporation to have control over what could have been a very scandalous debacle.”

Squeezing Kuroo’s hands Bokuto gave a little laugh. “Yeah, yeah, you’re probably right,” he said, shrugging and looking over at Kenma. A short nod was the only response the blond gave, but that was alright.

“You’re probably right, both of you - ah all of you,” said Bokuto. “Though, well. One member of our party will be gone for sure.”

“What?” Kuroo asked, alarm shooting through him.

“The ship,” Bokuto said. “We’re losing the ship. Evidently, we let it get contaminated, and they can’t trust the systems are secure enough.”

“But I’ve checked and double-checked them,” Kenma said, frowning. “I prepared them before I let anyone go in and use them.”

“I know. I know, they know. But it’s still not enough.”

The admission had Bokuto looking miserable for reasons Kuroo didn’t fully understand. “It’s just a ship, right?”

“But it’s our ship, Kuroo!” Bokuto said, looking from him to Akaashi. “It’s where we met you. It’s our first -”

Akaashi sighed. “It’s our first home,” he murmured. “The first place that was truly ours. Before this, we normally lived in barracks or hotel rooms. But the ship was our ship.”

“I know you had so many plans, Akaashi! I know you were looking up things to decorate with, that you made little design suggestions and I didn’t know, I can’t believe I lost us our ship, Akaashi!” Bokuto howled.

Lips twitching, Akaashi said, “It’s fine, Bokuto-san. It will be fine.”

“It doesn’t feel fine.”

Kuroo squeezed his fingers, leaning to nuzzle against Bokuto’s neck. “It will be, though,” he said, echoing Akaashi. “It’s just a place. Things are just things. The most important thing is that we’re all together, right?

Sighing, Bokuto nodded. 

“Is that it?” Kenma asked.

The question sounded harsh to Kuroo’s ears. He knew it was just Kenma being Kenma, but he felt how Bokuto flinched in response.

“Ah, basically,” Bokuto said. “We’ve all been invited to this party - well, it’s an official celebration or something I think, we have to dress up, it’s to thank the people involved with the case.”

“Official,” Kenma said, a frown crossing his face. Kenma disliked public gatherings, especially any that put him in the spotlight. “Do you know when we have to leave the ship?”

“I’m not sure,” Bokuto said. “Soon, maybe? Um. I’m not sure if it’s before or after the ceremony.”

“I should clean everything out of the system then,” Kenma said. His voice was flat. Kuroo tried to catch his eyes, but the blond was looking down at his hands on the back of the chair. 

Akaashi turned and looked up at him, something unreadable passing between them before he looked over at Kuroo and Bokuto. “We can take care of the details later,” he said. “I have an errand to run tonight.”

“An errand?” Kuroo asked, feeling anxiety threaten again.

“Daichi has asked for me to come to the club to discuss a few things. Wrapping up some business.”

“We should all go then!” Bokuto said.

“No.” The sound of Akaashi’s voice was sharp, but his eyes softened as he looked at Bokuto. “You’ve already worn yourself out with the meeting today, and you still aren’t recovered. You wouldn’t be any help.”

Bokuto gasped. “Akaaashi!”

Kuroo could see the slight twitch of Akaashi’s lips and knew he was just teasing. Mainly. It was true though - now that he took a longer look at Bokuto he could see the weariness in the other’s face. “I’ll go, Bo,” he said. “Keep him safe -”

“No,” Akaashi said again, and this time it was Kuroo’s turn to gape at the complete and utter rejection. “You stay here and make sure Bokuto gets proper rest. Kozume-san will come with me - if that’s acceptable?”

Kuroo watched another of those long inscrutable looks pass between the two of them, and then Kenma nodded. It hurt a little bit. No one was supposed to know Kenma better than him. No one was supposed to give him what he needed. But Akaashi had reasons for wanting Kenma alone, and Kuroo had suspicions that it was more about something he’d seen in Kenma’s gaze than anything else. 

“So I guess,” Bokuto said, “I guess it’s just you and me, bro?”

The look Bokuto gave him was still fragile, but his lips were curved up at the edges in a way that called Kuroo’s to twitch in response. 

“Yeah, bro,” Kuroo said, reaching a hand up to cup his cheek. “Do you think you can handle that?”

“I’m not sure, bro,” Bokuto said, nuzzling into his palm. “I guess I’ll try to make it through.”

Kenma made a strangled noise and turned around, walking to the door. Akaashi just chuckled as he got up. “I did say rest, alright?”

“We will!” Kuroo promised, sobering as he watched the other two at the door. “You two be safe, alright?”

Akaashi smiled. “It will be fine, Kuroo-san.”

And with that, they were out the door.

Sighing, Kuroo flopped back against the bed. Bokuto followed suit and for a moment they just stared up at the ceiling, then Bokuto rolled over on his side facing Kuroo.

“They left us all alone,” he said mournfully. 

“Yeah,” Kuroo replied, turning as well. He could see the moment that Bokuto’s expression went from over dramatic to pensive.

“Hey, Kuroo,” Bokuto murmured, “Do you think Akaashi’s mad at me? Because I didn’t tell him first? Do you think -”

Kuroo shook his head, reaching out to rub Bokuto’s shoulder. He wasn’t entirely sure. Akaashi hadn’t seemed upset, though, just tired. “I think,” he said, “that you did what you thought was right. Akaashi will respect that.”

“You think so? I just feel so - why am I the leader, Kuroo? Akaashi would’ve done so much better than me in that room today. He would’ve known exactly what to say. You too - heck, even Kenma, I bet.”

That made Kuroo snort.

“Ok, well not Kenma,” Bokuto said, lips twitching a bit before he sighed. “But I mean - all of my decisions, all throughout this thing - it got us here, where we’re losing our ship, and they might try to split us up -”

“Hey, hey,” Kuroo said. “Two things. Well, three. First - you are the leader because it’s what you’re good at. I know because I’ve been there - and you’re like me, but here, with your people, when it comes to dealing with the bureaucracy, you are better. And in public, too - you’re the type that can stand up and be a hero.”

“I am?”

“Yeah. You know, the type that people can point to and say, look at that Captain Bokuto. What a cool dude.”

Bokuto blinked at him. For a moment he looked shocked, but Kuroo could see signs that Bokuto was taking him seriously. “Captain Bokuto...”

“Best captain ever. Well maybe except for me, but I’d follow you any day. And not just because of your ass.”

“Aww, bro, you say the sweetest things,” Bokuto said, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Well, it’s true.” It was true. In large part because of the second point. “Another thing - all those decisions you talked about - even though you’re officially the leader, we made those decisions together. As a team. All of us agreed to them; some we even had to make without you.”

Sobering, Bokuto blew out a breath that puffed his cheeks. “Yeah, but in the end, the real responsibility is mine,” he said.

“Yeah - but we all bear the consequences. Not alone, but together. We’re a team.”

“Yeah, but still - I might’ve -”

Kuroo shook his head. “It’s done,” he said. “And I don’t regret any of those decisions. Every single one was a risk, but in the end, we’re all alive and together, and the truth is out there. We made the right decisions.”

“Maybe,” Bokuto said, looking down at Kuroo’s chest. “But -”

“We made the right decisions,” Kuroo repeated. “We’ll never be able to foresee all the potential consequences of things. Trust me, if that could be done, Kenma would do it. And yeah, losing the ship - that sucks. But the right choice doesn’t always mean you end up with everything you want.”

Bokuto made a face at that, then sighed. “Yeah, I know. I just -”

Kuroo laughed, brushing Bokuto’s hair back from his face when his lover shot him a look of betrayal. “You’re as bad as me,” he murmured, leaning forward and pressing their foreheads together. “We’re ok, Bo. I have you, you have me - and we have Akaashi and Kenma too, even if they were nice enough to give us some privacy.”

“What?” Bokuto said, pulling back in surprise.

Grinning, Kuroo said, “Well, Akaashi probably wanted some alone time with Kenma too - but right now, I have you all to myself.” He slid a hand down Bokuto’s side, tugging at his hip and letting a thumb trace over the waistband of his pants. “Let me take care of you?”

Eyes lighting up from within, Bokuto just said, “Bro...”

Kuroo laughed, urging Bokuto up further onto the bed and staring down at him. Bokuto was almost soft in this light, vulnerable and adoring. He loved him. Kuroo loved him. It made him swallow, the rush of emotions completely ruining any attempt he might make to be sexy. 

But Bokuto didn’t seem to mind. 

Instead, he just reached up, threading fingers through Kuroo’s hair, and said, “Be gentle with me. It’s my first time.”

Cracking up, Kuroo hid his face in the crook of Bokuto’s shoulder, sticking a hand under his shirt and feeling the way Bokuto squirmed when he tickled. “You’re a really bad liar, Bokuto.”

“Hey! Well, it could be my first time doing, ah, something.”

“Really,” Kuroo said, pushing up to stare down at him. “Well, maybe I’ll just have to get creative, then.”

They snickered at that for a moment, then Bokuto’s look gentled and he slowly shook his head.

Kuroo agreed.

This wasn’t that kind of night.

It wasn’t about experimenting, or trying to one-up events of the past. Tonight was about being together, about reminding Bokuto that his importance to Kuroo didn’t depend on being perfect. It would also be about laughter and fun, but most of all, it was just about love.

So he started by lowering his head down to capture Bokuto’s mouth with a kiss. 

It was easy to get lost in kissing Bokuto. Kuroo was in no hurry, and Bokuto was responsive, letting him explore as much as he pleased. He loved the taste of Bokuto’s mouth, the interplay of soft lips and hard muscles under his fingertips as he slowly divested the man of his clothes. He hated to break away to finish undressing him.

Bokuto evidently felt the same. He made a small noise of protest and then pulled Kuroo back down, rolling them over and devouring Kuroo’s mouth. This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. He started to fight him off, then Bokuto’s hand shot down, gripping his dick and rubbing the base of his hand against it.

“Fuck,” Kuroo said, arching and rocking his hips as he looked up at Bokuto. “That’s cheating.”

Grinning, Bokuto stared down at him, golden eyes intense. It wasn’t the same type of intense as Kenma. Kenma could break him down with a look because Kuroo knew how his mind worked, knew that his beloved was cataloging every movement and analyzing how to pull out the exact reactions he wanted. This was more like Bokuto saw everything and loved it, drank it all down. 

He could feel his cheeks heating up and that just was not cool. 

“What, you have a problem with your captain feeling you up?” Bokuto asked, fingers curling around Kuroo’s cock and then slipping lower, curving to press the crotch of his pants up into his balls.

In retaliation, Kuroo slid his hands around into Bokuto’s pants and squeezed. “Didn’t I say something about following you because you have a great ass?”

“Thank you for the recognition,” Bokuto said, grin widening before he lowered his mouth down to kiss again, sucking Kuroo’s bottom lip in a way that left him breathless. He wanted more, wanted everything of Bokuto. One hand slid up his lover’s bare back, reveling in the muscles that flexed beneath his skin. Bokuto was meeting him, matching him, pushing back every time he tried to roll them over again. His hand was sliding up, unbuttoning Kuroo’s pants and slipping back inside to wrap his hand around his length, just grinding down harder when Kuroo slid his fingers between his cheeks in response. 

“Bo,” Kuroo said, gasping as Bokuto kissed down and started to bite at his collarbone. “Bo, off.”

“Off?” Bokuto said, pulling back and looking at him in surprise.

“Ah,” Kuroo said, brain trying to put together what he’d meant. “Clothes, I mean. Clothes off.”

“Oh!” Bokuto said, grinning again. “Oh hoh hoh, I can comply with that.”

He finished shimmying out of his pants, leaving Kuroo to strip as fast as he could. Bokuto grabbed him as soon as he turned to kick his pants on the floor, pulling him back and grinding against his ass while attacking his neck with his mouth. Kuroo laughed, squirming in his arms and managing to roll them so that he was halfway on top of Bokuto.

“You want my ass now, Bokuto?” Kuroo teased, hands sliding up the other man’s muscular size.

Bokuto shrugged, hands taking advantage of this new position to grope their way down Kuroo’s body. “I want you,” he said. “Not that particular tonight.”

Snorting Kuroo kissed him again. He wasn’t feeling really particular either, other than the fact that he didn’t want to stop tasting and kissing. They were getting hot, sweat slicking up their bodies, but it just made things slide that much easier. Most days Kuroo didn’t really care about the mechanics of sex. Right now, he was perfectly satisfied to shift so that his cock was rubbing up against Bokuto’s as they rocked together, hands everywhere, mouths devouring the noises that escaped each other’s lips.

And what noises those were. Groans, and little moans, especially when Kuroo pressed a hand between their bodies and wrapped them both up properly. Bokuto’s hips thrust forward, almost making Kuroo lose it from the feeling of the head of Bokuto’s cock sliding all the way up his length as they fucked into his hand. He could lose himself wholesale in this hedonistic pleasure, locking out everything but the two of them in this heat. When Bokuto’s fingers slid between his cheeks and started rubbing behind his balls he did start to lose it, hips jerking out of the rhythm they’d fallen into, chasing something faster and harder. Bokuto matched him, moving back down to bite at his chest, one hand sliding into Kuroo’s hair and pulling his head back.

“Fucking Kuroo,” Bokuto mumbled against the bites. “Fucking sexy, mine, ours...”

Kuroo couldn’t manage words, so he just jerked his wrist back and forth, fingers tightening around their cocks as he chased the pleasure between them. It was good, it was sweet, it was hot and he loved it. Wanted it. Wanted more, everything, this -

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck,” Kuroo huffed, tightening around the fingertip that had pressed into his asshole. Groaning, he let himself taste the height of pleasure, falling over headlong into his release. He felt Bokuto’s cock pulse in his hand, cum mixing together on their stomachs, wet and sticky and perfect.

“Fuck,” Bokuto echoed, holding him tight as they shuddered through the aftershocks.

Kuroo pulled back first, rolling onto his back and lifting a cum-covered hand. “Dude,” he said, staring at it.

“Yeah,” Bokuto said, rolling onto his side, fingers tracing through the wetness on Kuroo’s stomach.

“That wasn’t how I planned to take care of you,” Kuroo mumbled, contemplating the shiny mess covering his fingers.

Bokuto giggled. “I dunno, Kuroo. I’m feelin’ pretty satisfied at the moment.”

“Yeah,” Kuroo said, giving up and letting his hand fall to his chest as he looked over. “Lookin pretty satisfied, too.”

Laughing, Bokuto said, “You just look...”

“What?” Kuroo asked, living an eyebrow.

Eyes sparkling, Bokuto replied, “Devastatingly handsome as always,” before smearing cum on the end of Kuroo’s nose. 

Squawking, Kuroo rolled over, sliding his cum-covered hand over Bokuto’s cheek and into his hair. “Take that, stupid owl!”

“Ack! Dumb cat, not the hair!”

“You started it!” Kuroo yelled back, reaching down for more ammunition. They wrestled around in the bed, cum getting everywhere, groping dissolving into tickles and kisses and licks and more cuddling until they lay panting in a ball in the middle of the covers.

“Love you, Bo,” Kuroo mumbled into his neck.

“Loved you first,” Bokuto replied, mouthing at his hair.

Snickering, Kuroo snuggled closer, well aware that they probably needed to take a shower and do something about the mess. Later. “Loved Kenma first,” he teased.

Gasping, Bokuto said, “Before me?”

Kuroo laughed.

“Well,” Bokuto continued, “I suppose that’s acceptable. He is pretty amazing after all. And I have to admit, Akaashi did come first in my own heart.”

“Mmm,” Kuroo said, moving to suck a mark into Bokuto’s skin as retaliation for all the bites. “Well, he is pretty hot.”

“Kuroo!” Bokuto said, pulling back and looking at him, eyes shining. “Oh Kuroo, you have no idea. Just wait! You get to see him at the ocean. Akaashi in skin-tight shorts, coming out of the water - oh man, I can’t wait for you to see.”

Laughing, Kuroo said, “Well, I can’t guarantee that’ll happen with Kenma.”

Shrugging, Bokuto said, “Eh, that’s alright. Just slip one of your shirts on and it’s game over.”

“True,” Kuroo said, contemplating images of just that in his memory. 

“Wonder what they’re doing right now,” Bokuto mused.

“Each other?” 

“Without us?!”

Kuroo gave him a pointed look, glancing down at their own naked bodies.

“Well,” Bokuto said philosophically, “Perhaps they’ll at least give us a reenactment later.”

“Or let us join in.”

“That too,” Bokuto pondered. “If we’re lucky.”

Kuroo nodded, then asked, “Shower?” at the same time Bokuto said, “Round two?”

Laughing, Kuroo winked at Bokuto. “How ‘bout both at once?”

“Efficient,” Bokuto said. “I like it. Seems like a good, captain-worthy decision to me.”

“Exactly,” Kuroo said, rolling back and winking. “Lead the way, oh captain my captain?”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Bokuto replied, grinning from ear to ear as he rolled off the bed. Cocking a hip out he glanced back at Kuroo and said, “Ready?”

“To follow this ass?” Kuroo said, stepping up behind him and smacking one muscled cheek. “Always, sir.”

“Kuroo!”

“Don’t like it?”

“I didn’t say that,” Bokuto mused, reaching back and taking his hand as they walked toward the bathroom. “Ah, but does that mean I get to call you kitten?”

The word unlocked a host of images, making his cheeks burn. “Ah, later. Maybe. Maybe later, Ah -”

Laughing, Bokuto said, “Ok bro. When you’re ready. If you’re ready, whatever you want. Feel free to put this mouth to good use in the meantime.”

Catching a glimpse of himself in the mirror, Kuroo noted the handiwork of that mouth littered in marks covering his skin. “Don’t think that’ll be a problem,” he muttered, lifting fingertips to one particularly dark bite on his chest.

“Good,” Bokuto said, smile infectious as he looked back at him, tugging him into the shower. “Though I should warn you, this round, I’d like to take my time.”

Kuroo swallowed, letting Bokuto press him back against the cool tiles. He was looking again, looking all the way down Kuroo’s body this time was they waited for the water to reach the right temperature. It made Kuroo’s heart threaten to beat right out of his chest. He loved it. Loved this, all of this.

Licking his lips, Kuroo said, “Whatever my captain desires.”

Bokuto’s eyes darkened with desire, grin sharpening with predatory intent that Kuroo matched, skin thrumming with excitement.

“Oh hoh,” Bokuto murmured.

“Oh hoh hoh,” Kuroo replied, drinking in the sight of him before leaning in for another kiss.

Something told him it was going to be one heck of a night.


	55. In the Crow's Nest (E)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Akaashi and Kenma head off to visit the Crows... who do provide excellent hospitality, which Akaashi is more than happy to take advantage of in order to ensure Kenma is properly taken care of. Akaken goodness ^_^

The crows’ club wasn’t nearly as busy as it would be later in the evening. The music was lyrical, threading through the air on top of a sweet percussive sound augmented by the hint of deep bass. Lights danced in the air in random patterns, but Hinata wasn’t dancing yet. He was just leaning with his back against the railing, hands reaching into the air as he traced patterns to the dreamy music.

“Is that Hitoka-san manning the music?” Akaashi asked as he slid up to the bar, nodding in welcome to Tsukishima.

“Yes,” the blond said in reply, lips pursing as he continued to dry the glass in his hand. “Yamaguchi is letting her have the early evening shift. Her taste in music is, ah, questionable, though I suppose it appeals to a certain crowd.”

“I see,” Akaashi said, any amusement at Tsukishima’s obvious discomfort balanced by the knowledge of the rather complicated situation that surrounded his friend and the other two. Personally, he liked the music Hitoka-san was playing. But the music wasn’t really the issue.

Glancing to the side he tried to gauge Kenma’s mood. His love had decided to sit with his back to the bar. Hopefully, Tsukishima wouldn’t be offended. Akaashi knew it wasn’t that Kenma was trying to be rude. Kenma had his handheld out and in his lap, one hand dancing across the surface as he hunched over it. The other hand was still clutching the bottom of Akaashi’s jacket, a fact that evidently did not escape Tsukishima’s gaze.

One blond eyebrow raised in silent inquiry. 

“Ah,” Akaashi said, hand slipping down to brush his fingers against Kenma’s, who glanced up briefly before looking back at his handheld. “Yes. I need to speak with you.”

“Alone? Or...” 

Pausing, Akaashi glanced over at Kenma, caught by the fact that he was looking at him again. Kenma knew, they’d let Tsukishima’s name slip. Technically that was against the rules. Worry gripped him a moment that Tsukishima might be upset with him. Kenma let his jacket go and intertwined their fingers, sending a pulse that calmed Akaashi’s anxiety. 

“I’m going to take a wild guess,” Tsukishima said dryly, “that this is something different than your previous arrangements.”

“Yes,” Akaashi said, looking over and relaxing. “It’s more, ah, exclusive.”

“And you told him. Them?”

The words made Akaashi feel strangely guilty. 

“Them,” Kenma murmured, turning to actually look at Tsukishima. 

“I’m sorry,” Akaashi murmured, realizing that he was the one who’d let Tsukishima’s name slip when the four of them had talked about the parameters of our relationship. 

“Huh,” Tsukishima said, giving Kenma a long look before shrugging and glancing at Akaashi. The blond’s face was shuttered, but Akaashi knew how to read the pain and loneliness that slipped through the cracks. Tsukishima glanced up at the dj booth again before sighing. “Ah, well. I assume it will stay between the four of you, then.”

Kenma nodded, turning back around as the tenor of the music changed. Glancing back Akaashi saw that Yamaguchi had slid into the seat next to Yachi, hands sliding over the controls. Hinata was standing, sending showers of orange and yellow light cascading down over the dancer’s heads. 

“Ah,” Kenma said, eyes shining as he looked up. “Shouyou saw me.”

Akaashi’s breath caught at the small smile that graced Kenma’s face. In that moment, he was beautiful. The lights were reflected in the red dancing in the gold of his irises, face almost childlike as he watched the lightshow. Akaashi knew there were things bothering Kenma. That was one reason he’d decided to bring the smaller man along with him to the club, hoping that they’d have some time alone to talk. But for a moment, at least, it was like all his cares had melted away in the face of his wonder. 

“I see,” Tsukishima said. 

When Akaashi looked at him, he saw a wistful understanding in his friend’s eyes. He was smiling. It was a Tsukishima smile, so not too big, but it was enough. They would be alright.

“I also need to tell you - we’re going to have to leave for a while. I was wondering if you could look in on a few things for me while we’re gone. Make sure nothing happens, contact me if there’s a problem. Hopefully, it will be fine, but we’d feel better if we had someone here on the ground.”

“You two and your projects,” Tsukishima said, shaking his head. “I suppose I could do that. Just send me the details.”

“Thank you, Tsukishima-san,” Akaashi said, impulsively reaching out with his free hand and squeezing the other man’s fingers. Then he worried that Tsukishima might not like the touch after their previous topic of conversation, and pulled back. “Ah -”

“It’s fine,” Tsukishima said, moving his hand to brush the back of his fingers against Akaashi’s palm. “Someone has to be responsible here.”

“Yes,” Akaashi said, heartwarming in response. 

“Kenma!” cried another voice. 

Kenma’s fingers tightened on Akaashi’s then relaxed. It was Sugawara.

“Koushi,” Kenma said, nodding as the gray-haired man walked up to them.

“I didn’t expect to see you,” Sugawara said. “Daichi said that Akaashi was coming by - he’s ready for you now if you are?”

“I think so,” Akaashi said, glancing at Tsukishima, who nodded in response. “I’ll send you everything you need. Thank you again.”

“Fine. It looks like I’m actually going to have to serve some customers now anyhow. Save travels.”

Nodding, Akaashi and Kenma followed Sugawara into the back. Kenma’s hand was tangled in his jacket again. Akaashi’s fingers felt cold, but he was happy. It was such a strange feeling. Not being happy, but this shade of emotion. He felt proud for some reason like he had been deemed worthy by something precious. Well, Kenma was precious. So much so that Akaashi wanted to forget all their business and pull Kenma away into a corner somewhere, inhale his scent and unwrap all the secrets that no one else besides Kuroo and Bokuto got to see. 

Later.

For now, he just followed Sugawara into the conference room, walking over to greet Daichi. The smile of welcome on the dark-haired man’s face was warm. 

“I’m so glad you’re feeling better,” Daichi said. “I’m sorry again -”

“No need,” Akaashi said, brushing the apology away with a flick of his fingers. “We got the job done, that’s what matters. Kaori is safe thanks to you. She was our witness, and even if she hadn’t been - she’s a friend. I’m thankful you prioritized her over me.”

“I don’t think Tanaka’s complaining,” Sugawara teased.

“Tanaka?” Akaashi asked.

“They hit it off,” Daishi replied, chuckling a bit. “He finally got to play the big strong male for once - then when she was feeling better she charmed the pants off of him.”

“Boy’s gonna be so whipped,” added Sugawara.

“She is special,” Akaashi said, smiling a bit and then looking over to check on Kenma. He’d pulled out his handheld again. Sugawara was watching him curiously, but didn’t press.

Akaashi was grateful for that.

“Well,” he said, “this is the card that needs your signature.”

Daichi frowned down at the small device Akaashi produced from his pocket. “This really isn’t necessary,” he said. “We would’ve done it for you just as a favor. We don't require payment.”

“I know - but Fukurodani doesn’t like to keep debts open.” Especially with Aoba civilians, but Akaashi wasn’t going to stay that out loud. Instead, he said, “Just review things and make sure you agree with the charges. Then you can do with it what you want - donate it, use it to upgrade the club, anything.”

Glancing over the small screen, Sugawara whistled. “We should do you favors more often,” he said.

Akaashi chuckled, then glanced at Kenma again. A thought struck him. “You know, that might not be such a bad idea, ah.”

“Yes?” Sugawara said, looking up at him.

“Ah, the thing is, well. We’re losing the ship.”

“You are?” said Daichi, shock evident in his voice.

“Politics,” Akaashi said, noting the way Kenma’s gaze flicked to his and then back down to the screen. “We’re going to need a place to stay for a bit. After the ceremony, we’ll probably be leaving for a few months, but until then - well, we could just stay at a hotel -”

“Nonsense,” Sugawara said. “We have rooms, and I’m sure Hinata will be happy to have Kenma close for a bit, especially if you’ll be taking off for a while. How many rooms will you need?”

“One,” Kenma said, voice soft but distinct.

“One?” Sugawara asked.

Kenma looked up at him and nodded firmly.

“For all four of you? Ah, we have some rooms with two beds, but if you’d be more comfortable...”

“One bed,” Kenma said, cocking his head to the side. “One big bed, if you have it.”

Akaashi nodded when Sugawara looked at him, smiling when he felt one of Kenma’s hands reach up and wrap around his own. 

“Oh my,” Sugawara said, looking to Daichi and grinning widely. “See look, they -”

“No,” Daichi blurted, face quite red for some reason.

“Are you sure? I keep telling you it’s perfectly normal - maybe Mattsun and Makki? You’ve always liked -”

“Koushi!” 

Sugawara laughed, a light, evil thing, and patted Daichi’s arm before turning to Akaashi with a grin. “We have a room that overlooks the club floor if you’d like. Has a wall made of one-way glass that you can blank out or soundproof if it bothers you.”

Mind lighting up with the possibilities, Akaashi glanced over at Kenma with a soft smile. “Would you like that? Being able to look out on Hinata’s lightshow?”

Kenma’s gaze was slightly suspicious, but he nodded slowly.

“I can show you there now if you’d like,” Sugawara said. “If your business here is done.”

“That would be good,” Akaashi murmured, unable to keep his eyes off of Kenma even as the smaller man ducked his head and looked back at his handheld, breath quickening.

That would be very good.

~~~~~~

The sounds of the club were muted in the room Sugawara showed them too. Kenma felt a bit off-course; he hadn’t expected that they would be staying at the club. He hadn’t expected that they would be staying anywhere tonight.

A part of him was already missing Kuroo.

“Do you think Yaku and Lev can get a room here too?” he asked Akaashi after Koushi left, trailing fingers over the cool glass that overlooked the club.

“Probably,” Akaashi said, moving over to the small control Koushi had shown them. “You want them close?”

Nodding, Kenma shivered as the beat from the club shook the glass as Akaashi turned up the music. “Seijou will need a place too.”

“It can all be arranged,” Akaashi murmured, turning down the room lights before moving to stand behind him. “Everything will be fine.”

Kenma sighed, watching the lights dancing in the air above the dancers. Shouyou was weaving his hands around in the air, completely lost in the music. There were bodies pressed against bodies down below. Kenma hadn’t ever been fully comfortable on the dance floor, at least not without significant alcohol, but this was nice. He could lose himself in the music like this. Lose himself in the sensations.

Akaashi’s fingers were running through his hair, fingertips brushing against his ears and down his neck in a way that felt delicious. 

This hadn’t been a part of his plans either.

All he’d wanted was to be with Akaashi. Akaashi was calm, quiet. Akaashi was beautiful.

Akaashi was tugging at his jacket.

Kenma gave in, leaning his cheek against the glass as Akaashi tugged the jacket away, tossing it carefully to the side. Cool fingertips slid up the back of his shirt, tapping out the rhythm of the music on his skin. Kenma let himself be pulled back long enough for the shirt to go over his head, sighing as Akaashi’s fingertips moved around to his chest, teasing skin even as his lover nuzzled his neck.

“Love you, Kenma,” Akaashi murmured.

This wasn’t what he’d expected at all, but he could already feel himself getting lost in it. Everything was fading into sensation. The cool of the glass, the lights flickering just beyond his reach. The fabric of Akaashi’s shirt against his back, lips against his neck, hands sliding down his stomach to undo his pants. He thought it quite possible that Akaashi wanted him to get lost in it, didn’t require him to say or do anything but lean against the glass, breathing out soft responses to every touch, moving his body as Akaashi moved him.

He was naked before he really realized it. Naked, and oh so aware of the way Akaashi was pushing against his thighs, thumbs pressing into the creases of his hips that led down to his groin. He was naked and lost enough to gasp as Akaashi’s fingertips grazed along his length, coaxing at him with light taps that echoed the notes of the new song that Yamaguchi had transitioned into. Kenma’s eyes flew open and he came back to himself enough to realize that Akaashi was still fully clothed.

He wondered if he minded.

Then Akaashi’s fingers wrapped fully around him, and rational thought escaped again.

“I hope I didn’t mess up the setting,” Akaashi murmured, making Kenma jolt.

“Whaa,” Kenma stuttered out.

Kissing his shoulder, Akaashi said, “If I made it two-way glass? There isn’t light in here, of course - but what if they can still see you pressed against the glass? What if the lights out there are enough to illuminate you here?”

Panic hit Kenma for just a moment before reason took over. He was teasing. Akaashi was too precise to leave anything like that to chance. Akaashi cherished him too much to ever let that happen.

Akaashi stilled, lips soft as they pressed gently into his skin then pulled back. There was an inhale of breath, like Akaashi was trying to judge if he should say something.

“Kenma -”

He turned his head, looking up at Akaashi’s eyes. His face was lit up enough for Kenma to make out the care in his eyes. 

Kenma loved him. Akaashi loved Kenma. Relaxing, he slid one hand back to tug Akaashi in for a kiss, pressing his ass back into Akaashi’s pants and gasping against his lips as the hand tugged again at his cock, rousing him to full hardness. 

Akaashi growled into the kiss, biting Kenma’s bottom lip before lifting his free hand to press Kenma’s face back against the glass. It was terrifying and thrilling and Kenma felt perfectly safe. 

“What would they say if they could see you?” Akaashi ground out, hand moving from the back of Kenma’s neck and trailing down his backbone. “What if Kuroo and Bokuto were down at one of those tables, looking up at you? Seeing the way you let yourself get pressed here all naked, see the way you’re spreading your legs for me, pressing your ass back for me?”

No words. Akaashi didn’t require words from him. Instead, Kenma just mewled softly as he did just what his lover said, feet shifting to the side as Akaashi nudged them open with a knee. There were tables out there. He could see Tsukishima still manning the bar. Fantasy mixed with reality as Akaashi’s fingers pressed between his ass cheeks, teasing at his pucker.

He moaned in disappointment as Akaashi’s hand was removed from his hip. Akaashi bit his shoulder in retaliation, hands pulled away entirely for a moment before fingers came back to his entrance. They were wet. Kenma didn’t have it in him to be surprised. He was too busy gasping as his cheeks were pulled apart and a thumb pressed inside, making him lift up on tiptoes to get the angle just right. The glass was cold against the head of his cock as he pressed against it, cold and vibrating enough to tease him as he thrust against it, moved by the thickness of Akaashi’s thumb as it pressed in deeper and deeper.

“If they could see you,” Akaashi said, free hand gripping his hip, “they’d see you were mine. My Kenma. All mine, letting me do whatever I want to you, opening up to me so sweetly. They’d see what a mess you’re making of the glass. You’re leaking everywhere, Kenma. Leaking for me.”

“Yes,” Kenma breathed out, tightening. “All for you, Akaashi, all for you.”

“Fuck,” Akaashi swore, thumb replaced with two fingers that curled in a way that made Kenma cry out. He was losing grip on the reality around them, falling into the sound and light and sensation. Sparks of pleasure radiated from every place Akaashi touched him. The people below could have been fucking as much as dancing. The glow of the images streaking through the air reminded Kenma of the glimmers in Akaashi’s eyes, glitters of white or pale green Kenma knew would be flashing if he moved to look. Right now he was too busy just feeling. Slick. His ass was slick and hot and tight, stretched open by three fingers now, three fingers twisting and curving and spreading and making him respond on instinct. Pleasure, sensation - and then emptiness.

“‘Kaashi,” Kenma gasped. “‘Kaashi, please, please.”

“I’ve got you, baby,” Akaashi breathed out. “Got you, just lift here - fuck, you’re so perfect, so sweet, Kenma -”

Then there was thickness and warmth and Akaashi everywhere, hands sliding around him, warmth in contrast to the cool of the glass, heat pressing him open and filling him up, fingers tugging at his hair and pulling him back for another kiss, lips and teeth and tongue laying claim to him as Akaashi fucked into him, taking everything. Taking everything Kenma would give.

Taking all he was.

Akaashi moved him. He was liquid in Akaashi’s hands, dancing to the music, the beat sinking into his bones as Akaashi matched it, pounding into him fast and hard. Nails dragged across his skin. Teeth moved from his lips to his neck, biting down and making Kenma cry out. He didn’t care. Didn’t care about the sounds he was making, the way his hands scrambled against the glass, the way his hips jerked in response to every move Akaashi made. He was losing it, floating, becoming one with the music and sensation and Akaashi, always Akaashi, Akaashi everywhere surrounding him, pulling him apart until he was nothing but desire.

No more thoughts. No more fears. No more worries, nothing but this, here, now, them, together, so deep, so perfect. Akaashi’s hand wrapped around him, squeezing, twisting. His hands in Akaashi’s hair, tugging him closer, feeling the roughness of cloth against his back. Words falling from Akaashi’s mouth - dirty, loving, sweet, gasping, words that told Kenma Akaashi was almost as lost as he was.

“Close,” Akaashi gasped. “So close - Kenma - fuck - love - with me -”

“Please,” Kenma managed, crying as the song shifted to something faster, harder. Akaashi moved again. He was relentless inside him, filling him up, pushing him over the edge, breaking him in the best way. “Please.”

“Yes, yes, Kenma... fuck, Ken - fu -”

The thrusts slipped out of rhythm, got harder, fingers pressing bruises into his hips. Teeth sank into his shoulder and Kenma lost it. He was gone. Undone. Cresting with pleasure, calling out as Akaashi pushed deep and held because he was shooting off against the glass, marking it for anyone who could see. 

Perfect. 

It was perfect.

Akaashi was perfect.

He slumped against the glass, barely registering as Akaashi pulled out and gathered him into his arms, carrying him over to the bed and collapsing down beside him.

“Cold,” Kenma murmured.

Chuckling Akaashi just pulled the covers over him, half wrapping him up and then pulling him close. “Better?”

Making a small noise of contentment, Kenma snuggled close. 

For a few minutes, ‘better’ had no context. He was floating, almost purring as Akaashi ran fingers over his skin, sparks of sensation from the touches that added color to the afterglow of pleasure that ran through him. It was good. He was safe. He was loved.

He had cum leaking out of his asshole.

The sensation registered. It wasn’t pleasant, exactly, but for the moment it was completely secondary to the hum of good feelings still thrumming through his mind.  
Humming softly, he nuzzled Akaashi’s neck.

“So,” Kenma murmured when a few more minutes had passed, “Exhibitionism, then?”

Akaashi’s fingers stilled, then he chuckled. “A bit.”

Leaning back, Kenma watched his lover’s face. “And you knew I’d...?”

“Well, I... Kuroo might have mentioned something. Did you mind?”

Kenma thought about it. It wasn’t nice for Kuroo to be telling secrets. Then again, exhibitionism was much more Kuroo’s kink than his own - and evidently, Akaashi’s as well.

And he had no doubt at all that Bokuto shared the obsession. Just the thought made his lips quirk, imagination supplying predictions of things he might be subjected to in the future.

Though he didn’t really mind. 

“No,” he replied, fingertips lifting to trace Akaashi’s cheek.

Ah,’ Akaashi said, lips quirking as Kenma moved to brush his mouth. “I’m glad.”

Nodding, Kenma kissed him softly before sighing and nuzzling back into his chest. He felt lighter somehow. Cleansed. Whole. 

Happy, in a gentle way, worry banished at least for the moment.

For the moment, he was safe.

For the moment, he was loved.

And he knew that love would last for many, many moments to come.


	56. Swords and Other Deadly Things

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah ok, so, if you follow me on tumblr you know that life has been crazy busy lately. plus i was blocked on this for the longest, not really satisfied with my plans. BUT. 
> 
> well.
> 
> I think things will now get interesting :)
> 
> enjoy!

“Stop messing with them, Bokuto-san.”

“But - Akaaashi!”

Bokuto pouted, looking down to tug again at the stupid pins all lined up on his chest. He really hated his uniform. It was white, with gold cording, and stripes and little square pins all just so against each other on his chest, and buttons everywhere. He felt stiff and uncomfortable in the thing. He’d always hated it. How Akaashi managed to make it look so good he didn’t know.

“Why do we have to wear these things and Kuroo gets to wear that!”

Kuroo smirked, looking over from where he was attempting to do something with his hair. He was wearing some black pants that were sinfully tight across his ass, and a red dress shirt Bokuto wanted to peel off of him. “What, you don’t like what you see?”

Bokuto just pouted. “I take it back, you’re not kind at all.”

There was a soft huff of laughter at his side and Bokuto looked down, feeling Kenma tug his hand away from his pins.

“Come. Sit,” Kenma said, tugging him over toward the bed.

Still pouting, Bokuto allowed himself to be led away, somewhat mollified when Kenma climbed into his lap. It gave him something to do other than play with his own uniform, and that made him happy.

Kenma was wearing some silky black robe thing with a belt Bokuto would be hard pressed to remove. The fabric was embroidered in patterns that teased his fingers as he ran his hands over Kenma’s body, tugging him close and nuzzling his hair. Kenma just shifted his arms and continued messing with his handheld, running through charts and numbers that Bokuto didn’t have a hope of understanding.

“So who all is going to be there again?” Kuroo asked.

“Well, a lot of the top brass from Fukurodani who are here,” said Akaashi. “I heard Shiratorizawa is invited as well. Tendou seemed happy enough to get back to them. Also Seijou, of course, and I think Karasuno all got invites, and Yaku and Lev. The Confederation of Planets people. Representatives from the natives.”

“Everybody and their dog, it sounds like,” Kuroo muttered. “I hope security is tight.”

“It will be. There are people still out there looking for all of the Nohebi group, of course. Native Zealots are always a concern, of course, but after Oikawa’s press conference in that interview, I doubt they’d try anything. He really knows how to play to a camera.”

“Shouyou did well too,” Kenma murmured.

Bokuto pulled him closer, squeezing him tight until Kenma fidgeted. They’d asked him to go on the interview too. Talk about how they’d pulled off the daring plan, working together with Seijou to entrap corrupt officials who didn’t care about anything but their own pocketbooks. Akaashi had nixed the idea because it would require Bokuto to remember all the edits the officials had made to the story.

“If anything does happen, I’ll keep everyone safe,” Bokuto said, looking up at Akaashi.

The image of Akaashi lying in a pool of blood was still etched into his mind. From the way his beloved looked at him, he knew he was thinking the same thing.

“I’ll be fine, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said, leaning into Kuroo as he came up behind him, arms sliding around him in a loose embrace.

“We’ll all protect each other,” Kuroo murmured, tilting his head down to kiss Akaashi’s neck. “Plus, they’re letting Kenma and Yaku wear their dress swords, and will be screening everyone else for the weapons they think are dangerous. Six Alephians there, two of them actually armed, I think we’ll be fine.”

“Those things are more than just for show?” Bokuto asked, feeling Kenma chuckle.

“People always forget what a sword can do,” the blond said.

Thinking about that for a minute, Bokuto slid his hand up and inside the fold of Kenma’s robe, feeling the thinner layer of silk that covered his chest. “But they’re so...”

Kenma’s shifted, allowing Bokuto to rub his fingertips over one soft nipple. “So what, Bo?”

“Well, uh. Thin? Tiny? I mean the swords you see in movies are like -”

Bokuto was not so dense as to fail to notice that at some point Kenma’s fingers had stilled on the device in his hands. Kenma turning to look up at him with expressionless eyes was an even bigger hint to stop talking.

“You think that because something is thin and tiny it can’t be deadly?” Kenma asked.

“Well, uh -”

Kuroo laughed out loud. “I’d suggest you proceed carefully, Bo.”

“Or we could always spar, and let him see firsthand what a tiny thin sword can do,” Kenma murmured.

Akaashi sighed.

Just then Bokuto was reminded again of just how deadly Kenma could be, and it made him smile. “I love you,” he said, ever full of wonder at this man, at both of these men who had come into his life.

Lips twitching, Kenma reached up and patted Bokuto’s cheek. “Love you too, Bo,” he whispered, giving him a soft kiss before turning back around. “If you ever do want to spar, though, let me know. Also, I’d advise against repeating what you said to Yaku, though, or you’re likely to get a demonstration right then and there.”

“Hmm,” Bokuto said, sliding his hand back into the robe and curling his fingers around Kenma’s side. “But how come only you and Yaku are wearing swords, then?”

“Mine are back home,” Kuroo said, leaning back against the dresser and pulling Akaashi against him, “And we don’t let Lev use swords.”

“You don't?”

Kenma shuddered, snuggling back against Bokuto. “No. He’s much more useful with all his fingers and toes.”

Bokuto pondered this, then shrugged, nuzzling Kenma’s neck and inhaling the spicy scent of his skin. The offer to spar was something he took seriously, of course, though he was a little worried about hurting the smaller man. Still, he knew from watching that Kenma wasn’t delicate, exactly.

“Bo.”

He was well-muscled and could pack a punch. It was probably pure luck that Daishou had lived long enough to be able to escape. Well, not luck, actually. Not mercy, either, though some might call it that. Kenma hadn’t looked like he was being merciful.

“Bokuto.”

Really, it had been pretty hot, if Bokuto was honest. The thought of Kenma focusing on him with that type of intensity - fuck, he could deal with that. It was a different type of intensity than Akaashi or Kuroo. Bokuto really liked the fact that Kenma didn’t mind being pulled into his lap and shown affection, it was great to be able to appreciate his body by touch, especially when he was so responsive. But to be the recipient - well. Bokuto remembered how much Kuroo had enjoyed it when Kenma had taken him. Oh, but pair that with having just been beaten by him in a spar, and the hotness just intensified. Would Kenma be rough? Fierce? He had looked so fierce, with Daishou -

“Bokuto!”

Blinking, Bokuto looked down at his wrist, that for some unknown reason had Kenma’s hand wrapped around it.

“Huh?”

Kenma was blushing and had squirmed around in his lap. Kuroo was laughing so hard it worried Bokuto a bit, especially since Akaashi’s eyebrow was ticking. Akaashi’s eyebrow ticking was never a good thing.

“Bo,” Kenma hissed, “This is my dress kimono, and we need to leave in a few minutes, you can’t just -”

“If we spar and you beat me, I think I’d let you fuck me,” Bokuto said, vaguely remembering having slipped his hand between the folds covering Kenma’s legs. They were very nice legs, though. He was reasonably sure he’d just wanted to feel the muscles of Kenma’s thighs to confirm some of the things he was thinking about.

“Let?” Kenma asked.

“Oh, shit,” Kuroo said.

Kenma’s face went through a variety of expressions that Bokuto probably would’ve found fascinating if it wasn’t for the fact that most of them were negative, and directed at him. The hand around his wrist was starting to actually hurt a bit, too.

“Kenma,” Akaashi said, voice deceptively calm, “remember he has to be seen in public tonight. Preferably able to walk under his own power.”

Golden eyes narrowed at him, and Bokuto tried to figure out what he’d done wrong.

Growling, Kenma let his wrist go and grabbed ahold of the front of his dress jacket. “You’d be lucky if I decided I wanted to fuck you,” he said, pushing Bokuto none-to-gently back onto the bed and then hopping off his lap, stalking off to the bathroom.

“Well, yeah, of course,” Bokuto said, confused as he tried to push himself back upright. “Kenma? Hey, Kenma? What’d I say?”

Kuroo was absolutely no help. He just dissolved into more laughter, and Akaashi looked especially disappointed with both of them.

“I’m going to go help Kozume-san fix his kimono,” Akaashi said, following Kenma.

“Eh? What? Kuroo, stop laughing and come tell me what I did.”

Trying to contain his laughter, Kuroo walked over and fell onto the bed by Bokuto. “Dude, you are so fucked.”

“Well yeah,” Bokuto said, pouting as he gazed at the bathroom door. “That’s kinda what I was hoping for.”

“So, so very fucked.”

Bokuto just sighed.

~~~~~~~

Kuroo was happier than he’d been in a long time.

Sure, things weren’t all good. He was apprehensive about what would happen when they got back to Aleph, and his worst enemy was somewhere out there, no doubt plotting horrible things. But he was in love, and his three lovers were safe and relatively happy and looked absolutely incredible.

He hadn’t known he had a uniform fetish before, but with the way Bokuto filled out his jacket, he definitely had one now. If it wasn’t for the fact that Bokuto was a whining pouting mess, it would’ve been perfect.

They were in the back of some fancy car being driven to the party - awards ceremony, whatever it was. Akaashi was sitting next to Bokuto whispering to him and holding his hand while Bokuto made eyes at Kenma.

Kenma, of course, was steadfastly ignoring him while looking fantastic.

Kuroo loved Kenma in his dress kimono. It was black silk with delicate red embroidery and a red underlayer. He held his swords crossed in his lap for the ride, fingers clenching and unclenching around the lacquered sheaths. Akaashi had lined Kenma’s eyes with black, accenting them with a subtle red echoed in his lips. It had been years since Kuroo had seen Kenma dressed so formally. Being dressed up meant being seen in public and Kenma hated any event that exposed him to large amounts of people, especially if they might pay him attention. Before, that meant Kenma was normally nervous, hunched over trying to hide away from anyone’s stare even before the event began. Today, though -

He knew Kenma well enough to know that he wasn’t actively angry, even if Bokuto didn’t. Kuroo was fairly certain Akaashi knew as well, though Kenma wasn’t helping Bokuto’s anxiety any, at least not yet. Kenma was stubborn, and Kenma was annoyed. Kenma was probably fighting off minor panic attacks himself, so it would probably be too much to ask for him to actually tell Bokuto he didn’t hate him. Kuroo figured Kenma would make it up to Bokuto later.

Hopefully, he’d get to witness it.

But no, Kenma didn’t look angry or anxious right now, no matter what was going on in his head. He looked regal. Cool and perfect. Deadly. Sexy. Amazing.

This was his boyfriend. One of his boyfriends, who loved him and knew about the worst things he’d ever done and still loved him and looked damn good loving him. Life was good.

Normally Kuroo would try to calm Kenma down before situations like this, rub his back or murmur words of support and encouragement. Now, he was fairly certain that if he even tried he’d have Kenma up in his face worse than what he’d done to Bokuto earlier. Not that Kuroo would mind. When Kenma was like this, Kuroo would let him do anything he wanted and be happy about it. Well, he’d normally let Kenma do anything he wanted to him - but he loved it when Kenma just took.

“Ah! We’re here!” Kuroo said as they pulled to a stop.

Kenma was the first one out the door, immediately moving toward a familiar shock of red hair near the entrance to the building. Shaking his head Kuroo got out after him, stretching and taking a moment to look around. The building was big, imposing. This was someone’s house? It looked like a house, reminded him of some of the architecture on Kingdomtide, where everything was all classical columns and white stone. It wasn’t quite as elegant as some of the houses on that planet, but it was still impressive, especially all lit up for the party. It was set up against the edge of a manmade lake.

There were plenty of people around too, but security guards were keeping them back from the guests that were arriving. Kuroo was glad. Kenma was doing incredibly well, sliding his swords into his obi as he strode towards Hinata. There were people whispering and lights flashing but he was ignoring it all.

So beautiful.

“Kuroo,” Bokuto whined, taking his hand as he got out of the vehicle.

Smiling Kuroo turned to him, exchanging a quick glance with a very exasperated-looking Akaashi. He nodded to the dark-haired man before turning fully to Bokuto and taking his other hand. “You look sexy as hell, Bokuto,” he murmured.

“Really?” Bokuto asked, face clearing for a moment before crumbling back down into despair. “But Kenma -”

“He doesn’t hate you, I promise,” Kuroo said, wishing he could kiss the look right off of Bokuto’s face. “It’ll be fine, you’ll be fine.”

Akaashi had gone on ahead of them and was answering some questions with reporters near the edge of the crowd. Kenma, meanwhile, had reached Hinata and was talking to him.

Turning back to Bokuto, Kuroo said, “Remember, you’re the hero today. You’re the face of Fukurodani. Kenma loves you and he’s proud of you even if he is in a snit right now - and you probably will end up paying for it, but you’ll love it. Trust me. I’ve been there. So put that out of your mind and remember how much we all think you’re amazing and wonderful, and how proud we are that you’re our captain, ok? Let all of these people get a glimpse of how amazing you are.”

Bokuto’s eyes had started to shine as he spoke, and Kuroo loved it. Wished again he could kiss him. He settled for squeezing his hands, though, and grinning when Bokuto squeezed back.

“Alright!” Bokuto said, turning and straightening his back. “Let’s do this!”

Yes, life was very very good.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Daishou wanted to hurt someone very very badly.

“Takachiho,” he said, gazing out into infinite blackness.

“Yes, sir?” Takachiho said, jumping up from where he’d been sitting at a desk behind Daichou.

“I’m thirsty.”

“Yes, sir!”

Listening to the sound of the other man scrambling for the door behind him, Daishou checked his nails. It should bother him. In an abstract way, he knew it should bother him. Things hadn’t always been like this. They’d all been friends once, friends who laughed together, worked together. Now, he knew, they were all afraid of him.

He supposed they had a good reason.

There was a bit of blood still under his thumbnail and he frowned, wondering if he should ask Takachiho to get him a file when he came back. Probably not. It wasn’t Takachiho he wanted to hurt.

Then again, he hadn’t wanted to hurt Kuguri, either.

Well, not specifically.

The door opened behind him, and he saw a figure reflected in the window in front of him. A female figure, not entirely welcome.

“Suguru,” the woman said.

Daishou debated on ignoring her. He was not in the mood to deal with his sister, especially when he knew at least part of what she was going to say. Still, she could be annoyingly persistent. “What is it, Katsumi?”

“Do you really think it’s wise to be injuring one of your closest friends in the middle of this mess?”

Nailed it. Sighing, Daishou waved his hand. “I wouldn’t really call it injured,” he said. “Not like I broke any bones. Most of it is superficial anyhow, and he’ll heal. Besides, I’m pretty sure he enjoyed at least part of it.”

“That isn’t the point and you know it,” she growled out, stalking closer to him and putting a hand on the back of his chair. “Isn’t he your best friend?”

He did know it, though he wasn’t sure he’d call Kuguri his best friend.

Maybe Hiroo? Or Sakijima - no, it wasn’t really like he was any closer to them than he was to Kuguri. But Kuguri never told him no.

Kuroo hadn’t told him no either. He hadn’t refused him anything back when they were together. Back before everything had gone to hell.

Though unlike Kuroo, he knew Kuguri would never betray him, no matter what he did to him. It was a heady and intoxicating power.

Perhaps he had abused it. Just a little.

“He will be fine,” Daishou murmured, sitting forward and resting his elbows on his knees as he looked out at the planet below them. His body still ached from what that cat had done to him.

“Physical injuries aren’t the only problem here. You might actually break him one of these days. He’s an important asset.”

Turning to look up at her Daishou sneered. “Trust you to have your priorities in order, sister,” he said. “But don’t worry. Kuguri won’t break that easy. He’s been through worse.”

“I was hoping he might help to lead -”

“No,” Daishou said, glaring. “None of my team are going back down on that forsaken hunk of rock. We can use other assets to do what needs to be done.”

Frowning, she shrugged, walking over to press fingers against the glass. “I’ve made the necessary arrangements. We were able to salvage the accounts used to receive payment for the job, though we will probably end up taking a bit of a loss after all is said and done. Sakijima was doing well when I visited him. I don’t think the corporation had any clue who I was in relation to you, they just accepted me as his lawyer.”

Daishou shrugged. He expected nothing less from Katsumi. She was nothing if not effective. “So everything is in place, then?”

“Yes.”

“When?” he asked. He had almost lost track of what time it was on the surface.

“Soon,” she said. “Very soon. Then it will just be a matter of cleaning up any loose ends and taking care of the charges with the Confederation. That shouldn’t be too hard, I know several sympathetic judges who don't mind fudging the paperwork for the proper motivation. Just wait a little while longer, little brother, and this mess you’ve made of things will be all cleaned up. Again.”

The words stung, but he accepted them as true.

He knew that if Kuroo hadn’t been involved, none of this would’ve happened. He knew that man made him see red, him and his nasty little cat.

Soon, though. Soon.

Soon they’d be able to go and lick their wounds, recover and get ready for what came next.

At least now he knew where Kuroo was, and where he probably would be in the future. He could afford to take his time and not rush things. Even if he wanted to quite badly.

But soon and very soon, things would be all better.

Now, where was Takachiho with his drink?


	57. Facets of Friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. As an author, I had to go back and do some research in the story for some of this. If you want to, I might recommend going to the full text of the story and searching for Iwaizumi's name, just to read the interior iwaoi story as background for part of this.
> 
> Up to you, though.
> 
> But I love those two <3 and my bokuakakuroken babies have their time here, but so do Iwa-chan and Oiks. Enjoy!

Light violin music was playing as Akaashi stepped into the house hosting the party. It wasn’t a tune he recognized. Something light and jazzy, with soft vocals weaving in through the melody in words he didn’t recognize. It wasn’t exactly to his taste, but he didn’t mind it.

He did mind the mass of people in attendance - not for his sake but for Kenma. He recognized his lover’s nervousness in the stiffness of his stance as he stood near Hinata. For a moment Akaashi thought of joining them. Hinata reached out and brushed fingers over Kenma’s arm, causing the blond to relax and lean toward him. It made Akaashi feel strange.

He turned, searching the crowd for other familiar faces. Jealousy? Was that what the feeling was? It was a strange feeling. Akaashi didn’t consider himself a possessive man. Then again, he’d never worried about Bokuto at all; it was very clear that Bokuto was his, always had been. Kuroo - well, maybe it was the time they’d spent together while the other two were away, but he knew how Kuroo felt. He knew how Kenma felt too, but there was just something - something he couldn’t put his finger on.

“You look pensive,” said a voice at his side. “Or maybe you’re just hungry. Here. The food’s free and I assume your boyfriend will be too nervous to enjoy it before he goes onstage, so have his share.”

“Thanks,” Akaashi said, glancing down at the plate handed to him. His stomach chose this moment to growl and he picked up a piece of stuffed flatbread, biting into it with pleasure.

Eyes crinkling, he looked down at Yukie. Trust that one of his oldest friends would be able to find him in this hullabaloo without any effort and holding two loaded plates to boot. She looked smashing in some dark blue glittery excuse for a dress, cheeks puffed out as she chewed. It felt like old times.

“I’m glad they invited you. Didn’t know you’d be here, are the rest of the guys?”

“Nah, just me and Yamiji-san. Kaori is here too, with one of the guys from Karasuno - Tanaka, I think? Shaved head?”

“Oh?” Akaashi asked, glancing over as he finished the flatbread. Kaori was in a sea-green sheath, next to someone Akaashi did recognize as Tanaka. They both looked nervous but happy, all but ignoring a hovering Noya. “That makes an odd sort of sense.”

“Doesn’t it, though? Everyone's getting hooked up, it seems like,” she said, sounding a bit wistful to his ears.

He glanced down at her. “Any romance on the horizon for you?”

“Maybe,” she said, looking at the people on the edge of the dance floor.

Following her gaze, he frowned. It seemed like she was looking at Daichi - would he have to break it to her that he was already in a relationship? But then Daichi moved and he heard Yukie sigh as a woman with short brown hair came into view.

“Michimiya?” he asked, testing the waters.

“Yui,” Yukie breathed, spellbound for a moment before glancing up at him with a self-conscious laugh. “Is that silly of me?”

Akaashi shook his head, smiling at the light flush in Yukie’s cheeks. He liked seeing her happy. The girl she had her eye on was quite lovely, he had to admit - wrapped in a sleek black number with red accents, complete with long black gloves. “She is beautiful.”

“Yes. And smart, and so sweet. We talked a few times when I was dealing with Karasuno. Do you think she might be interested? I’m so bad at this.”

“Only one way to find out,” Akaashi said. “Or, well, I could ask Daichi if you would like - discretely.”

Yukie bit her lip, then shook her head. “No, better if I talk to her directly, right?” she asked, laughing a bit and looking down at her plate. “Ah, but maybe you could talk to Daichi while I steal her away?”

“I’d be honored,” Akaashi said, glancing around to check on the location of his boyfriends as they walked toward the two crows. It looked like Bokuto had been dragged into a group with some high-ranking Fukurodani members. Oikawa and Iwaizumi were there too, Oikawa talking animatedly to someone who looked like they were from a news agency. There was something fake about his smile, though. Iwaizumi looked irritated. Bokuto looked, well.

Bokuto looked gorgeous, but then again, Akaashi had always liked his lover’s uniform.

Glancing back over at Kenma, Akaashi saw that Kuroo had gone over near him and was talking with the shorter of the other Nekoma people. There was a subtle distance between Kenma and Kuroo, but Kuroo was relaxed as he glanced over at Akaashi.

Something about the look relaxed Akaashi, and he wasn’t sure why. Kuroo knew Kenma best, though, and he trusted Kuroo.

It was a strange thought, but it felt right.

“Ah, Akaashi-san,” Daichi said.

Quirking an eyebrow, Akaashi said, “san?”

Flushing slightly, Daichi shrugged. “It’s an official event, so I thought?”

It seemed strange for Daichi to be so nervous, but Akaashi took it in stride, looking over to where Yukie was talking with the pretty girl in black. Evidently, their conversation was going well, because Yui was slightly flushed, eyes shining as she looked at Yukie. Akaashi saw Yui reach out as she talked, pulling back and glancing down in hesitation only to have Yukie grab her hand. Then the blush was shared by both of them.

Yes. It would be fine.

“Are all your people here tonight?” Akaashi asked, turning back to Daichi.

“Eh? Ah, no. Ennoshita’s watching the club with Kinoshita and Narita. Asahi had to stay back too. Noya isn’t too happy about that, but he’ll deal.”

“I see,” said Akaashi, glancing over to where Daichi kept looking. Ah, there was Sugawara. His company both surprised and amused Akaashi. “Matsukawa-san and Hanamaki-san?”

Matsukawa was looking over at them with an expression that was either bored, stoic, or highly nervous. Hanamaki, on the other hand, looked positively devilish as he and Sugawara talked.

“Ah,” Daichi said, “Yes. Well, maybe. Well, I mean, it depends on how things go -”

Laughing softly Akaashi said, “I’m not judging you. Although...”

Daichi looked extremely nervous as he glanced up at Akaashi. “Although?”

“You are comfortable with it, right? It’s not just something you’re doing because Sugawara wants to try it?”

At first, Daichi looked affronted, then thoughtful. “It’s not like we’ve never tried something like it before,” he said, looking back over at his boyfriend. “When we were younger, with Asahi - well. That was different, though. He’s one of our closest friends, and back then Noya was so blatant about his attraction to women Asahi didn’t even imagine that the two of them would get involved. Him being with us was more an extension of our friendship. When things turned more romantic with Suga and me, it just got... complicated.”

“Complicated.”

Daichi nodded, a look of sadness crossing his face. Looking over at Sugawara again Akaashi thought about his history with Bokuto. They hadn’t ever really explored their open relationship with close friends - well, not teammates, the people they’d spent almost every waking hour with. They had talked about it, but more jokingly - their friends were attractive, but they knew each other too well.

Things had always been romantic between Bokuto and him, anyhow - they had been friends, true, but that underlying current of push and pull had been heavy between them since the very beginning. Sleeping with relative strangers hadn’t encroached on that in the least. Kenma and Kuroo were different, of course - but nothing about Kenma and Kuroo threatened what he had with Bokuto.

That wouldn’t help Daichi, though.

“It’s different with strangers,” he said.

Daichi frowned at him. “They’re not -” he started, then thought a moment, letting out an exhale. “They’re friends,” he said. “Not close friends, though. But we’ve always liked them. Sugawara adores Oikawa, of course, but he and Iwaizumi are more than a little volatile. Mattsun and Makki, on the other hand, are just...”

“Stable?” Akaashi asked. He hadn’t spent much time with them, but he and Kenma had talked about the trip, telling him stories about the two that made him smile.

“Stable,” Daichi agreed. “I don’t really want anyone other than Suga, at least for a relationship. He pulls all of my energy as is. He’s my world, I don’t want, uh.”

“What we have with Kozume and Kuroo?” Akaashi asked.

Shrugging, Daichi nodded. “I guess I’m a simple man, in the end.”

“And Sugawara loves you.”

“Yes,” Daichi said, a soft smile playing on his lips. “We’re very happy. Not perfect. He’s a terror in the morning before his coffee. But it works.”

Akaashi smiled, looking over at Bokuto. “Then this will just be fun - and handily, they’re staying at the club. But I hear they’re leaving soon. That makes things even less complicated.”

Daichi nodded, eyes soft as he watched his lover before turning to Akaashi. “You’re leaving soon too, right?”

Pausing a moment, Akaashi nodded. “That’s, ah. A bit more complicated.”

“I imagine so.”

If this party made Kenma nervous, the thought of an uncertain future was what sent tremors through Akaashi. He had a plan for some of it. Go visit his family. Spend some time in pure relaxation with his lovers. But after that, going into Kingdomtide territory, traveling to Aleph - to a tribe that had once called for Kuroo’s death - that was a bit terrifying. Having Daishou and his people out there made things even worse.

They’d get through it, though. He believed that.

He believed it, but it wasn’t quite enough to still his concerns, even on this night that was supposed to be all about celebration.

~~~

Iwaizumi was holding his hand.

Iwaizumi was holding his hand and they were in public. Real public, not just in front of teammates. Public that included reporters. Reporters who knew their names, who were talking to them - well, to Oikawa, but still.

Iwaizumi was holding his hand.

Oikawa was trying not to let his emotions show on the surface. It was thrilling, and exciting, and also faintly scary. What did it mean? Did Iwaizumi mean something by it? Was it just because he knew Oikawa was nervous being in public?

A part of him wanted Iwaizumi to hit him, just to get things back to normal.

Another, larger, part was ecstatic that Iwaizumi’s fingers were interlaced in his own.

He answered another reporter’s question, stealing a glance over to his best friend and unconsciously tightening his grip at the look of fond irritation he received as a consequence. It was crazy. He should be thinking about the ceremony. About the kids, about making sure that he didn’t give any soundbite that could be twisted into something that could harm the team or the Aobian people. But all he could think about was Iwaizumi.

Iwaizumi had been quiet lately. Even more quiet than usual, quiet in a thoughtful way that made Oikawa nervous and full of questions. Was Iwaizumi regretting the deal? Did he want to stay on the Aoba? Did he want to leave? He was holding Oikawa’s hand, so it wouldn’t make sense for him to want to leave, but maybe he was just doing this as one last -

“Stop thinking so hard, Shittykawa,” Iwaizumi said, leaning close and brushing his lips against Oikawa’s ear. “Your brain will fall out of your ears, and then these reporters will really have a headline.”

Eyes wide Oikawa stared at the floor, cheeks heating as he tried to get his mind to work past the fact that Iwaizumi had - his lips -

Chuckling, Iwaizumi tugged him closer to Bokuto.

This was -

For once, Oikawa found himself speechless. The reporters had gone on to talk to someone else, and it was just as well. Iwaizumi and Bokuto were talking about things.

Oikawa was doing a crappy job of following the conversation. He glanced down at where his hand was joined with Iwaizumi’s.

It reminded him of the first time they’d held hands, back when they were six and Oikawa was tugging Iwaizumi to see some patch of greenery he’d found among the buildings because he’d just learned how much Iwaizumi liked bugs. Nevermind that Oikawa hated bugs - Iwaizumi liked them, and that made it ok.

It reminded him of all the times in their teenage years there they’d danced around what it meant that they still liked to hold hands and hug and curl up together when they slept. It reminded him of the times he’d avoided touching Iwaizumi, avoided the look of quickly-shuttered hurt in his best friend’s eyes.

It reminded him of the morning after that awful party, where he’d realized how big of an idiot he was being and gone to try and talk things over with his best friend. It reminded him of how Iwaizumi had actually slapped his hand when he tried to reach for him, of how Iwaizumi had avoided him for months.

It reminded him of all the months and years after that as they slowly picked things back up, rebuilding their friendship to the point where Oikawa could lean against him as they watched a movie. It reminded him how Iwaizumi had held him as he bawled his eyes out over Takeru’s illness and subsequent coma.

It reminded him of hope.

“- ok, Oikawa?”

“Eh?” Oikawa asked, looking up into concerned golden eyes.

“I asked, are you ok? You seemed a bit, uh -”

Oikawa blinked, feeling disoriented. “I’m fine,” he said, knowing the smile he plastered on his face was false. It looked like Bokuto knew it too. Iwaizumi squeezed his hand, and Oikawa grounded himself, allowing the smile to relax into something more genuine. “Really, I am. Thank you for asking.”

Bokuto’s hair barely moved as he bobbed his head in an over-enthusiastic nod. “Sure! This is a lot, for me,” he said, fingers reaching up to fidget with his buttons before he glanced guiltily over to someone in the crowd. Akaashi, probably.

It amused Oikawa.

He himself was dressed in a suit and tie, white jacket and pants and the traditional Aobian teal. He looked good and he knew it. He would be alone when he went up to receive whatever award or medal they were going to pin on him. Well, Bokuto would be up there, but other than him it would just be Fukurodani officials, representatives from the puppet Aobian government, and Confederation of Planets officials. Iwaizumi would be in the crowd.

But Iwaizumi would be there.

Iwaizumi was holding his hand, and Iwaizumi was looking at him.

Bokuto had been distracted by someone from Fukurodani, some older man.

Iwaizumi was looking at him, tugging him closer, free hand reaching up to curl around Oikawa’s upper arm so that they were facing each other.

Iwaizumi wasn’t saying anything. He just looked at Oikawa, long enough that Oikawa wondered if there was something on his face. Evidently, that showed in his eyes, because Iwaizumi smiled.

“I’m proud of you, Tooru,” he said.

The words made Oikawa forget how to breathe.

It wasn’t the first time Iwaizumi had told him something like that, no. But something felt different. There was a certainty in Iwaizumi’s eyes that made Oikawa want to ask him a thousand questions - a thousand new questions - while being simultaneously scared of his answers.

He finally managed a soft, “Unfair, Iwa-chan,” heartbeat speeding at the soft smile and laugh Iwaizumi gave him in return.

Oikawa was so in love with this man.

This moment felt new, different. More. More than so many moments before when they’d been dancing around the question, dancing around the landmines of fights and arguments and mistakes. It was like here, in this moment, they’d stopped dancing around each other and were just together, with naked hearts in a room full of important people that didn’t matter at all.

“So unfair.”

Iwaizumi’s smile deepened. “Later,” he murmured. “Save me a dance.”

“You can have all of them.”

And now Iwaizumi was laughing, but Oikawa wasn’t offended. He was light and hopeful, and so in love that he felt tears threaten the corners of his eyes. But he couldn’t cry. He was an ugly crier, and he had to accept his award and stand in front of the world and be beautiful.

Iwaizumi thought he was beautiful even when he cried.

Iwaizumi would be there. He was proud of him and maybe, maybe -

Iwaizumi was holding his hand.

~~~~~~~~

It was almost suffocating how many people were crammed into this one tiny room. Hinata had disagreed with Kenma’s assessment of the size of the room. Kuroo probably would disagree too, but Kenma wasn’t talking to him at the moment. Not because he was bothered by Kuroo, more because Kenma didn’t really want to talk to anybody at the moment. There were too many people. Too much noise. Too many voices trying to cut above the rumble of the crowd, high-pitched voices laughing in a way that he could feel against the skin of his arms. He hated things like this.

At least Lev was being quiet. Yaku and Hinata were talking in front of Kenma. Yaku had maneuvered them to stand between Kenma and the crowd. Kuroo was off on his other side watching them all with a benevolent gaze.

Kenma pursed his lips together, trying to breathe through his anxiety.

“I have your noise-canceling earbuds,” Kuroo murmured.

Looking up at him Kuroo thought about it. Panic was clawing at the edge of his awareness but he didn’t want to give into it. Soon. They’d have to have the awards ceremony soon. Then he could go somewhere - there were doors along the back of the room that led out to was looked from here like a balcony. It probably had a view of the lake. It would probably be quiet out there.

He shook his head.

Kuroo nodded, turning his attention away.

It was calming. Normal, it was normal. It was enough to just know that Kuroo was there and he cared, that he knew what Kenma would need if things got too bad.

It was enough that no one’s attention was on him.

He didn’t know how Bokuto did it. As annoyed as he was with his grey-haired lover Kenma also couldn’t help but feel a grudging admiration for how Bokuto was handling himself among the Fukurodani officials.

“He really can just make himself at home anywhere, can’t he,” Kenma muttered, catching Kuroo’s twitch of a smile.

“Yeah,” Kuroo murmured. “Though, because he does we don’t have to, right?”

“I still think you should be up there, Kuroo,” Yaku said. “Without Nekoma -”

“But we aren’t Nekoma right now,” Kuroo said, shrugging.

Yaku scowled. “You still bleed red, even if you did steal our heart away.”

Kenma snorted, shaking his head. He was unwilling to argue the technicalities of their escape with Yaku, especially since it had drawn Kuroo into an exchange of biting comments. That, too, felt familiar. A smile curled Kenma’s lips as he relaxed, thankful for the acerbic voices that blocked some of the other noise.

Hinata’s eyes were wide as he looked at them. Kenma didn’t know how to tell him that this was ok, this was normal, they were fine.

A wide grin split the redhead’s face, though, and he moved to stand next to Kenma. “They sound like me and Kageyama. Well, except Kageyama normally just resorts to calling me a dumbass.”

“Kuroo likes making up complicated insults sometimes,” Kenma said, shifting closer to his friend. Lev was smiling fondly down at Yaku as he and Kuroo got onto each other. This was normal.

Kenma was surprised to realize that his anxiety had faded into the background.

He breathed in and looked around, trying to identify the people he knew. Tsukishima was there, standing with Yamaguchi and Yachi. Yachi had on a beautiful white dress with red and pink flowers. She’d come to show it to Hinata earlier when Kenma had been hanging out with him, sharing whispered anxieties about the two men currently standing with her. Kenma hadn’t listened to what she was worried about. It wasn’t his business. Now he was mildly curious, though - they all three looked confused and tense.

He wondered -

But it wasn’t his place to speculate.

Ushijima was there with the rest of his crew. Tendou looked over and caught Kenma’s gaze, smiling widely, his eyes flashing. He was still a bit unsettling. Kenma hoped they never found themselves on opposite sides in the future.

Kageyama was standing near a woman with long black hair and glasses - Kiyoko. Hinata’s boss. She was looking up at a man with close-cropped light-brown hair in a suit like Oikawa’s. He looked to be several years older than Oikawa, though. Kenma suspected there was some association, however, because Yahaba and Kyoutani were standing near them as well.

There was Suga, too, with Matsukawa and Hanamaki. Daichi with Akaashi. Noya, and Tanaka, and Kaori. More people he knew.

They didn’t outnumber the strangers - not by a long shot. But it helped to realize that a good number of the people present were friends or at least, acquaintances.

Sighing, Kenma moved to tug on Kuroo’s sleeve. “They’re starting, I think.”

“Eh?” Kuroo said, turning to look at him. “Oh. Better, kitten?”

Kenma pondered the question then nodded, looking towards the dais at the front of the room. “For now,” he said.

He didn’t have to look to see Kuroo’s smile or the fondness in his eyes. The soft brush of fingertips against his own was enough. That, and the soft sigh, and the tenor of his voice.

“Good.”


	58. Pulling the pieces out of the box

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I have to call out that the amazing [@bugbearz](http://bugbearz.tumblr.com/) commissioned [this Kenma](http://shaerahaek.tumblr.com/post/155312920941/commission-a-gift-to-kaiyouchan-from-bugbears) from [@shaerahaek](http://shaerahaek.tumblr.com/). SO FREAKIN EXCITE I LOVE IT.

Bokuto bounced on the soles of his feet, patience wearing thin. He and Oikawa had been herded into this side room while everyone else took their seats in the main presentation room. He wondered what it would be like. So far the house was crazy elegant, all floating sculptures and crystal and light interwoven with the soft teal that was Aoba’s main color. In a few minutes, he’d have to go in front of countless people. He’d done worse before, of course - but always with Akaashi by his side, ready to distract him from the fact that hundreds of people would be focused on his every move. Well, that was only part of the problem - a large part was that the honor he would be accepting was something that should be given to the whole team, not just him. Akaashi, Kuroo, and Kenma played a huge part in this, as big or bigger than his own. And then there was the fact that Karasuno wasn’t being recognized. If it wasn’t for Hinata - well. If it wasn’t for Hinata, Bokuto wasn’t certain they would’ve made it back to the city alive.

Sighing he slid his hand into his pocket. Akaashi would never have let him get away with - 

Puzzled, he pulled out a small figurine that was tucked into the silk lining of his pocket. An owl stared back at him, tiny and perfect. Suddenly his anxiety melted into something manageable. Akaashi was with him. 

Akaashi was with him, and he could do this.

“What’s that?” Oikawa asked.

“Owl!” Bokuto said, showing him the small figurine. He didn’t recognize it. It must be new, something Akaashi had picked up for just this occasion. He was so in awe of how his lover knew just what he would need. Had he predicted that Bokuto would stick his hands in his pockets before the ceremony? Akaashi was so smart. He wondered -

He tried the other pocket, but nope, no cat. Too bad.

It was alright.

Kuroo and Kenma were with him too, watching and happy. 

“What’s an owl?” Oikawa asked, raising an eyebrow.

Bokuto blinked. “You don’t know what an owl is?” he asked, staring at the other man.

Oikawa flushed in response. “Nevermind,” he said, looking away.

It struck Bokuto that Oikawa was probably at least as freaked out as he was, if not more. Plus, things had to be crazier for him, being surrounded by all the people who’d made life hard for him and having to lie about everything that had gone on. 

“It’s a bird,” Bokuto said. “Huge, and hunts at night. They’re amazing! So cute, and there are so many kinds! Akaashi and I have adopted some at the sanctuary. You should go.”

“We’re leaving after this,” Oikawa said, looking down at his shirt. “I won’t have a chance.”

That was right. Exile or something like it - Bokuto wasn’t clear on the details, but he knew Oikawa would have to leave, Oikawa and all of his friends. They were too dangerous to keep on the planet. Akaashi had said it was because there were still pockets of zealots trying to throw Fukurodani out, and they would try to use Oikawa and his team as figureheads.

Politics. Bokuto hated politics.

“Well, maybe they’d let you -”

“Bokuto-san? Oikawa-san? They’re ready for you.”

Bokuto looked up at the woman who had just come in the door and sighed. 

“Let’s get this over with,” Oikawa muttered.

They walked out the room and down the hall to a large arched doorway. Two guards opened the doors for them, letting them in. Inside, people were all standing in rows, turning to look at the two of them as someone read out their names.

The room was huge, and white, with lights suspended all over. There were green trees in pots lining the walls, and stone carvings arching between them. At the end of the room, there was a dais filled with important-looking people. Important people all waiting for them.

Swallowing, Bokuto glanced at Oikawa and they started down the center aisle.

There was music playing. People were saluting him - saluting them. Some even looked actually moved. All the faces were a blur, though, all of them until he got to the front and saw Akaashi’s stoic face. Kenma and Kuroo were next to him, Kenma looking shell-shocked and Kuroo smiling brightly. Seijou was on the other side of the aisle as well - all of them, Iwaizumi and Mattsun and Makki and that cream-puff haired guy he could barely remember and the blond who’d punched Kenma and the guy with spiky hair and the one whose collarbone Kuroo had broken and more he didn’t know. They were looking at Oikawa. Iwaizumi looked proud. Bokuto hoped that Oikawa felt it, hoped that his friends’ presence made him happy.

Then they were past their friends and had to face the people on the dais.

One tall slender man was in the center, flanked by people from Fukurodani. The man was Aoban, though - some chancellor or something, from what Bokuto recalled. He’d seen him before on vids.

“Please kneel,” he said, tapping some long golden rod on the floor.

They really should have practiced this before the ceremony. Bokuto sucked in a breath, glancing over at Oikawa to see if he was as out of his depth as Bokuto felt. Oikawa had knelt smoothly though, Bokuto following suit as soon as he could, staring at the floor in front of him.

“I would like to present her majesty, Queen Sadako of Aoba.”

There was a collective intake of breath, and Bokuto saw Oikawa glance up in shock. No one chided him for it, though.

Everyone apart from the people on the dais was probably just as surprised.

Bokuto looked up as well, watching as the man stepped to the side and allowed a small girl to come forward. She was young, probably only about eleven or twelve cycles old. Bokuto tried to remember what he knew about her. Her great-grandfather had pulled together all the countries on Aoba under into one global nation, he remembered that - ruled with an iron fist and brought them into the Confederation of Planets. Then things had fallen apart, factions rising up under his children. There were rumors that the corporations had been involved. Bokuto wouldn’t put it past them - the other companies were underhanded and were one reason Bokuto hated politics. He was pretty sure Fukurodani hadn’t been involved, though. That was why they’d been asked to step in after the bombings that took out most of the heirs and had the planet on the brink of civil war.

The queen’s parents had been young at that time, her father the only surviving heir to the emperor. She’d been born after Fukurodani took power. Bokuto remembered reading about the accident that took her parents lives before he and Akaashi came to Aoba. Since then, the queen was normally kept in hiding. There was fear that she’d either be kidnapped and used by the zealots as a figurehead, or assassinated outright. To see her in person was unheard of, but here she was.

“I have been told,” she said, “of the brave deeds performed by you and your team, Bokuto-san, as well as you and your people, Oikawa-san. Oikawa-san, they told me that you found out about a great evil threatening the children of my world. Children are very important to us because they are our future. I heard what happened to your nephew, and I am sorry. I hope a cure can be found for him. Thank you for doing whatever you could to stop this evil from happening, even in the face of great danger.”

Her voice was thin and a bit unconfident, fingers trembling as she held them before her. The tall man next to her opened a thin box and presented it to her, and she reached inside, taking out a medal on a long teal ribbon.

“I know it isn’t much to offer you, but I hope you will accept this token of our appreciation for all that you have done, Oikawa Tooru.”

Oikawa’s eyes were red as he looked at her. Bokuto wasn’t sure what to make of it. He tried to remember what he’d heard about Oikawa’s nephew - had someone told him Oikawa even had a nephew? Whoever it was seemed important.

Akaashi would know. Akaashi or Kenma.

Ducking his head Oikawa allowed the queen to place the metal on him. She tapped his shoulder once then stepped back, turning to Bokuto.

“You and your team, Bokuto-san, went above and beyond your duties to my people on this mission. You embody the best of Fukurodani and remind us once again why the people of Fukurodani are here to carefully guide and protect us as we grow towards the stability that will allow us to one day govern ourselves. I thank you for your willingness to listen, and to risk life and limb in order to combat those enemies that sought to harm us.”

Bokuto just nodded. It all seemed a very flowery speech. There were probably hidden meanings to her words he didn’t understand; a few of the Fukurodani people next to her looked a bit disconcerted. It all seemed well and good to him though, so he just ducked his head and let her put the ribbon of another medal around his neck.

It was bronze, he noticed. Bronze, with a tree, and some words he couldn’t read around the edges. “Thank you,” he said. “We were just doing our jobs.”

Just doing what was right.

There were more speeches after that. They let him stand, thankfully, stand and look out over the sea of people before him, masses of people he didn’t know. He managed to smile, and look proud, and resist the temptation to reach into his pocket and figure the little owl figurine. It was enough to know it was there. Enough that he could occasionally let himself look down and meet Akaashi’s gaze, or see Kuroo make faces at him, or be comforted by how Kenma was leaning against Akaashi’s side.

This would be over soon, and he’d be able to spend the night with them enjoying good food and music.

All he had to do until then was smile.

~~~~~

Fukurodani did things differently than Nekoma ever had. Sure, Kuroo had attended awards ceremonies before, but it mainly consisted of the team kneeling in front of Nekomata while he gave speeches about what they’d done and how they could do it better the next time. The prizes were things like knives and engraved chest plates, not medals. 

Useful things.

Useful advice.

All of this pomp and circumstance was far more elaborate than anything Kuroo ever had or had ever wanted to be involved in. 

“You did a great job,” he said to Bokuto, patting him on the back. The ceremony was over, people breaking up into little groups, talking about whatever important things they had on their mind. The child queen had been smuggled away as soon as the ceremony was over, safe and secure once more.

Akaashi had told them a little of her story. It made Kuroo sad, made him remember their own ruler back on Aleph. His family was all gone as well, after the massacre. Well, except for the cousin who’d assassinated them all. 

It was probably lonely business.

“I’m proud of you, Bo,” Kenma murmured, hugging Bokuto briefly before backing off. “I need some air, though.”

“You ok, kitten?” Kuroo asked, frowning down at him.

Kenma shrugged, light glinting off the dark silk of his yukata. “Just loud and hot. There’s a balcony I saw out back. I’ll be fine.”

“We can come with you if you want, Kenma,” Akaashi said, reaching out to run fingers over the silk.

Kenma shook his head. “If it’s ok -”

“Of course it’s ok, Kenma,” Bokuto murmured, quieter than usual. He still looked a little pale from being up on the dais. “You do what you need to do.”

“Just remember there will be dancing later, ok kitten?”

The scowl Kenma gave him made Kuroo smile.

“You dance, Kuroo?” Akaashi asked.

“He does. Dance with him please, Akaashi,” Kenma said, pushing Kuroo towards Akaashi before wandering off.

Kuroo laughed. “I do, yes, on occasion. Do you two dance?”

“Dancing is fun!” Bokuto said. “Ah, but, Akaashi doesn’t like how I do some of the dances.”

“I didn’t say that, Bokuto-san,” said Akaashi, lips pursing. “It’s just that I am sometimes surprised at how a man of your skill on the battlefield sometimes fails to realize the location of his partner's feet in the middle of a waltz.”

“Akaaaaaashi!” Bokuto groaned, covering his face with his hands. “It was like one time!”

“One?”

“Ah, well - I’m still learning!”

Bokuto was adorable, really. Kuroo laughed again, reaching over and slinging an arm around Bokuto’s shoulders. “You just need more practice, eh Bo?”

“Uh,” Bokuto said, peeking at him over his fingers. “Yeah, that’s it.”

“I’d be happy to practice dancing with you, however you’d like.”

Golden eyes went wide, then Bokuto was smirking. “Oh yeah, bro? However I’d like?”

“However you’d like,” Kuroo repeated, winking at him.

“Dude, we could like -” Bokuto started, then looked over at Akaashi and stopped. “Uh -”

“You two,” Akaashi said, “are not going to start dancing obscenely in front of the entire Fukurodani-Aoba ruling council.”

“Awww but,” Bokuto said, waving his hands in front of him, “that’s not what we meant! Akaashi, you read us all wrong!”

“Did I?” Akaashi asked, raising an eyebrow and looking at Kuroo.

“Well, ah...”

There was no lying to that face, though. Definitely no lying when Akaashi’s eyes flashed, nanites proving he was dead serious about this. So touch.

Tough and sexy as hell, but there was no way Kuroo would say that right at this moment.

“I think,” Akaashi said, “That it would be best for the dancing this evening to be between Bokuto-san and myself.”

He was right. Kuroo knew he was right, but it was still a little disheartening.

“If you do like dancing, however, perhaps in the future...”

Glancing up at him, Kuroo took in the softer tone of Akaashi’s voice, and the way he had looked to the side almost embarrassed. “I love to dance actually,” Kuroo said. “Had to learn for a mission and it’s something I learned to really enjoy.”

“Well then. Perhaps another time.”

Kuroo nodded, reaching out and brushing fingertips over Akaashi’s cheek. 

“Ah,” he said, glancing away. “Well, I should probably go mingle a bit, give you two a moment to catch up.”

“Bro!” Bokuto said.

“Thank you, Kuroo-san,” Akaashi replied, eyes warm as he looked back at him. “Perhaps tonight, well.”

Soon.

Kuroo smiled at him, then at Bokuto. “Gotta keep up appearances, right? Besides, Kageyama is looking a little lonely over there.”

Bokuto gave a reluctant nod, hand slipping into Akaashi’s.

Humming softly Kuroo turned, looking around the room as he walked over towards Kageyama. Workers were slowly transforming the room around him, pulling chairs out of the center to prepare for dancing. They’d set up long tables to the side with food that looked delicious. Kuroo was too keyed up to really be hungry, though.

“Hey,” he said, smiling as Kageyama glanced over at him.

“Kuroo-san,” Kageyama replied, relaxing.

“You look like you could use some company. Where’s the shrimp?”

Kageyama scowled. “He got called away. Some rumor that something might go down with one of the rebel groups. I wanted to go too, but - well. I’m on guard duty.” He pointed over to where Kiyoko was standing with a man with light curly hair.

“Who’s that?” Kuroo asked.

“Mizoguchi. He’s the guy that helped coach Seijou back when we were all playing in the leagues. Wasn’t my coach, but he’s a good guy. They date.”

“Huh.” Kiyoko looked happy, but Kuroo could see some strain around the edges of her eyes. It made him wonder if there was actually something to worry about. Suddenly he wasn’t terribly happy to be here unarmed. “Do you think there’s anything to that rumor that called Hinata out?”

“If there wasn’t, they wouldn’t’ve sent him,” Kageyama said, looking none-too-happy himself. 

“There are a lot of important people here tonight - especially that queen girl if she’s still here.”

“Yeah. Well. Fukurodani has security for this location under control, as far as I’m aware. I think they’re more concerned about an attack on the spaceport or one of the cultural landmarks.”

“You think they’d go after the prison? Try and get at the people who were involved in the conspiracy?”

“Possibly. I think Tsukishima went out to check on things as well. He said he’d report back soon, though.

One night. Just one night, that was all Kuroo asked. One night to be able to relax with his boyfriends in peace and not worry about things falling apart. 

Hopefully, it was nothing.

One of the waiters was staring at him, lifting his wrist to his face and whispering something into a bracelet. It was probably nothing. He probably just hadn’t seen an Alephian before. Either that or he thought he was hot - well, him or Kageyama.

The whole situation was making him feel uneasy, though.

“I’m going to go find the restroom I think,” Kuroo said, frowning as the waiter ducked out into one of the hallways.

“Hinata always does that,” Kageyama said.

“Eh?”

“Always has to go find - oh.” Kageyama had turned to look at him, mild amusement shifting into something cooler as he examined Kuroo’s face. “You saw something?”

“I’m not sure. Better safe than sorry, though, right? Stick close to your boss.”

Kageyama nodded, walking over to where Kiyoko and her friend were standing.

Huffing softly Kuroo moved towards the hall he’d seen the waiter duck into. There were some security guards around the perimeter, but not enough for the size of the room. This whole location seemed overly exposed now that Kuroo thought about it. On the water, away from other buildings. There were probably plenty of guards outside, but if there was something up with one waiter - 

Ducking into the hallway Kuroo cursed, almost running into a tall redhead. “Tendou? What are you doing -”

“Chasing a rat,” Tendou said, turning to look at him. 

“I didn’t even know you all were here.”

Nodding, Tendou said, “Got invited along with all the other muckety mucks. The other’s are still out playing with people. Everyone’s fawning over Semi and making Shirabu annoyed. It’s funny as hell.”

“So why are you in here, then?”

Tendou’s grin was tight, and his eyes flashed yellow. “Same reason you are, I suspect.”

They both looked down the hall. The waiter was nowhere to be found.

“Well,” Kuroo said, “it’s probably nothing, but -”

“It stinks.”

Nodding, Kuroo started down the hall, happy he at least had someone to watch his back here - even though they were both probably seeing things that weren’t there.

He didn’t like contemplating the chances of that happening with a data-freak by his side.

He would so much rather the danger be all in his head.


	59. Setting them up

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I had [this song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNbTW0lhR1Y) in mind when getting into Iwaizumi's headspace for the start of this. Hope you don't mind the flashback, I think it's important.

//flashback

Hinata’s shop smelled like acid and charcoal as Iwaizumi ducked inside. There were bottles of active metals on the right side wall, slithering around inside the glass like pure chaos. Buckets and small bins filled with different tools and materials Hinata used to craft lined the left wall near the door. On the back wall, he could see a row of square plastic bottles filled with muted flickers of light. Hinata knelt in the corner of the back next to a small steel furnace, long metal pipe in hand.

It was always interesting watching his friend work. This was only part of his operation - there was a lab down inside the building where Hinata manufactured the more delicate parts - but Hinata had always liked to make things with his hands. It was one of the things they’d bonded over, so many years ago.

Hinata stuck the rod into the furnace and pulled out a small blob of molten material, using tongs to twist and shape it to his satisfaction. There was no telling what it would be when he was finished. Metal, glass, some melding of both - Hinata was ceaselessly creative when he wanted to be.

He often wanted to be.

Not that it always worked out.

Scrunching up his nose, Hinata sighed and ducked the molten mass into a bucket of water next to him. Looking up he saw Iwaizumi and smiled, standing and lifting up the protective helmet he wore.

“Hey!” Hinata said, grinning widely at him. “I was wondering if you were going to stop by before you left.”

“You doubted me?” Iwaizumi said, lifting up the case of beer he’d snagged from the bar on the way up from the club. 

“Gimme a second to put everything away and I’ll join you on the roof.”

Nodding, Iwaizumi walked back out of the workshop. Gravel crunched under his feet as he walked to the small seating area they’d constructed so many years ago, a few battered metal benches and chairs around misshapen tables, all surrounded by anemic-looking trees choking from all the pollution in the air. Still, it was one of Iwaizumi’s favorite spaces. 

“I heard you’re leaving us,” Hinata said, walking over and wiping the sweat from his brow. “Going off to be someone famous or something.”

Iwaizumi laughed, sitting down and pulling a bottle out before handing it over. “Nothing like that,” he said. “To be honest, they’re kicking us off-world. Not officially of course, but.”

“Of course.”

He grabbed a bottle for himself and unscrewed the cap, flicking it into the collection they’d made in the base of one of the planters. “At least we get a ship, and we’ll be together. Oikawa will probably want us to go hunt aliens or something.”

“Aliens! Heh. Who knows. I bet there are still places yet to be discovered. You just wait, you’ll get out there -”

“In a ship that can’t even do big jumps on its own, but will have to piggy-back off of an alephian-piloted ship -”

“And find some planet, and voila! Aliens! Oikawa will be thrilled!”

Iwaizumi snorted. “Yeah, or become the alien’s next big meal. Sacrificed to the alien gods before they realize he’d taste like crap because of all of the things he puts in his hair.”

Hinata laughed, loud and bright like fireworks shooting off into the night sky. Iwaizumi loved his laugh. He was really going to miss the guy.

Over the past few years, Hinata had become one of his best friends, and it was hard to know what he’d do without him. Whenever Oikawa drove him up the wall, or he started to get tunnel vision with the guys, he could always come up here and escape. Recalibrate. Things here were simple, straightforward, easy.

“How are things going with Oikawa, by the way?” Hinata asked.

That was not so easy.

Frowning, Iwaizumi examined the bottle in his hands, picking at the label. “Hmm.”

“That bad, eh?”

“Not bad,” Iwaizumi mused. No, really things weren’t bad at all. In fact, he felt like their adventure had ended up making him feel closer to Oikawa. He was so tremendously proud of the other man. Even if he didn’t agree with the way he’d pulled this off, he thought it was incredible that he’d done it. Done it for his people. Done it for the children.

“Have you talked to him yet?”

“No,” Iwaizumi said, shaking his head. “Not yet.”

It was probably no secret to anyone that he’d been in love with Oikawa since they were kids. Oikawa was just as obviously in love with him. That wasn’t the problem. Back when they were younger, it had been a problem for a while. They’d spent a few years dancing around the idea that they were attracted to each other - romantically, sexually, as best friends, all of it. Then Oikawa had gone and fucked things up before Iwaizumi had even had the chance to come to terms with how to ask him out.

That wasn’t exactly a fair assessment, he knew. Not fair at all. 

But his emotions didn’t seem to care about fair.

He was still hung up on that one moment at the party when he’d walked in and seen Oikawa on Kageyama’s lap. No, not just that one moment - also afterward, when Oikawa had taken a bad situation and made it worse, and things had fallen down like dominos among all their friends. He and Hinata had been the first ones to get hurt, but then there was what had happened to Kageyama, and by extension Kunimi and Kindaichi. Not to mention how rocked everyone had felt.

Not to mention that Oikawa had almost left all of them.

“You still haven’t forgiven him, have you?” Hinata murmured.

“Of course I have,” Iwaizumi said. “That was years ago, and he hasn’t -”

Except he was still Oikawa. He still did things that made Iwaizumi question, even though he knew in his mind that Oikawa never meant anything by it. It was just the fact that he knew him so well, knew that his words could cut, knew how thoughtless he could be -

Knew how thoughtful.

“You should decide,” Hinata said. “It has been years.”

Sometimes, Iwaizumi hated that Hinata could be so perceptive. It seemed unnatural. Hinata was just so good at being oblivious, after all - but there was a head full of wisdom underneath that mop of red hair, even if Hinata rarely slowed down long enough to let it out.

“You’re right,” Iwaizumi said.

“I know I’m right,” Hinata replied, grinning as he took another swig of beer. The grin was tempered by his own experience, though, his own sadness. “You know, in some ways you’re lucky? Me and Kageyama - man. Well, you know. We’ll never have a happy ever after, not like in the schoolbooks. Now, I appreciate the reality of why. I’m thankful he knows himself now, knows what he wants and what he doesn't want because he’s happier now than he’s ever been - even if what he wants doesn’t match up to all those fantasies I had when I was seventeen. But you and Oikawa - shit.”

Iwaizumi shrugged, taking another swig of beer to mask his discomfort.

“You’re in love with him, Iwaizumi. You could’ve moved on years ago, gotten together with someone who didn’t have the baggage you two shared - but you didn’t. You stuck with him. You love him, and he loves you. Everybody knows how much he loves you, even if the two of you downplay it all the time. Not everyone gets that. Not with their best friend.”

“I know,” Iwaizumi said.

“You’re letting your fears hold you back. Don’t let what happened in the past ruin your chances in the future.”

“I’ve been working on it. I’m trying. It’s just - I don’t know how to get past it.”

They sat in silence for a few moments, Iwaizumi musing over what Hinata had said, and Hinata probably trying to figure out if he’d pushed too hard. But they both pushed each other hard, sometimes, and he trusted Hinata more than he trusted just about anyone else. Even Oikawa, when it came to matters of the heart.

Frowning, he saw Hinata start to fiddle with the label of his bottle, mouth opening like he had something to say.

“Just tell me,” Iwaizumi said.

“Change the game,” Hinata said.

“What?”

“Ok, so every which way you’ve been looking at the problem - and I know you’ve looked at it every way you can, considering how long we’ve been having this discussion - every way you look at it, you keep running into a wall. It’s like a maze with no solution. So. Change the game.”

“Is this one of your video game analogies?”

“Eh, kinda?” Hinata said. “Think about the ballast versions of the lightbots, like when I was trying all the substances I could to figure out how to get them to move through the air without falling. I’d been using the same basic design I’d used on all the others, and nothing worked - not making the walls thinner, or substituting a denser alloy, none of it. I had to completely change my approach in order to get them to work.”

“Change the game,” Iwaizumi said, frowning.

“Yeah, like - when I was problem-solving, I started with a basic set of assumptions. None of the solutions I came up with using those assumptions worked, so I finally had to scrap those assumptions and look at it differently.”

It was a clunky analogy, but it made sense. Frowning, Iwaizumi thought it through more deeply. “You did that with Kageyama too, didn’t you?”

“I -” Hinata started, a brief flicker of pain morphing into something calmer and more determined. “I guess I did, though really, he was the one who changed the game on all of us. Well, because Tsukishima hit him over the head with it.”

“Yeah.”

Now there was a perceptive kid.

Hinata shrugged. “It wasn’t easy? I mean, I know Kindaichi probably had the hardest time with it, and he’s right when he says it doesn’t excuse what happened - but figuring it out made all the pieces that didn’t fit come together in the right way, even if the picture they made wasn’t what any of us expected.”

That was true. Iwaizumi still had a hard time understanding it, but it was good to see his kohai content with himself. “I’m fairly sure that neither Oikawa or I are ace, though,” Iwaizumi said with a smile.

Whooping, Hinata shook his head. “Ahaha no. Not considering some of the conversations you and I have had over the years, and well. No.”

Wasn’t that easy then.

The real problem, he knew, was that he was still, on some level, angry. But he didn’t want to be angry with Oikawa.

Didn’t want to bury the anger either. He wanted to make peace with it.

Change the game, huh.

Mulling it over, he decided to take Hinata’s advice - later. “Thanks,” he said, finishing off the beer and slotting the bottle back into the box before taking out a new one. “Now then. How about you tell me all about your next big project?”

“Sure!” Hinata said, eyes shining.

If this was the last night he spent with the other man for a while, Iwaizumi wanted to make it a good one.

// end flashback

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The dancing, thankfully, was not one of the more elaborate styles Akaashi had run into during his time with Fukurodani. All Bokuto had to do was hold his waist and sway from side to side, following Akaashi’s directions. He could do that. Bokuto was exquisite at following directions, after all, unless they involved fancy footwork.

Too bad, really, though Akaashi was looking forward to discovering exactly what secrets Kuroo had in store for the dancefloor.

Right now, though, everything was about Bokuto.

“You looked magnificent up there this evening,” Akaashi murmured, watching Bokuto’s eyes widen and soften at the unexpected praise. Normally Akaashi tried not to stroke Bokuto’s ego too much. He had a habit of puffing up to where all he could feel was happiness at Akaashi’s words - not a bad thing in principle, but in practice it also meant he tended to ignore important things like the location of other people or tasks he was supposed to complete. Right now, though, Bokuto was still coming down from the experience of being the center of attention of a whole mess of people. People who didn’t truly appreciate him for what he was.

People who didn’t know in their hearts how much Bokuto deserved the award and more.

“Akaashi,” Bokuto murmured, forehead falling against Akaashi’s shoulder.

There was no way Akaashi could help the smile that formed on his lips at that, but he turned his head to hide it against Bokuto’s neck. This wondrous, incredible man. It would take a lifetime to express to Bokuto the fullness of his feelings, a lifetime and more since the man kept making new emotions well up inside Akaashi’s heart. 

At least now he wouldn’t have to cherish Bokuto alone.

In a way it was almost terrifying, expanding the circle of those he cared for. He still cared for his team - his old team - very much. Kuroo and Kenma, though, they had been so unexpected. Unexpected but he didn’t regret it in the least. 

“I can’t wait till we can all go away from this place,” Akaashi whispered. “Maybe to that place with the pink skies and sandy beaches. Rent out one of those villas by the sea, think of nothing but you and me and Kenma and Kuroo for days.”

The slight intake of breath from Bokuto was so lovely. “That would be so great, Akaashi,” he said, pulling Akaashi closer. “We have to visit your moms’ place too, though. You think they’ll like our new boyfriends?”

“They’ll like whatever makes us happy, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi said, nuzzling close. 

“I bet Kuroo and Kenma will love them too. Your family is amazing, Akaashi. I’d never - hey, do you think Kuroo and Kenma have parents somewhere too? I don't think I’ve asked, have you?”

“No, Bokuto-san.” 

He knew Kuroo and Kenma were close with their Nekoma friends, and they’d be going to Aleph after whatever vacation they could manage to scrape together. “Maybe we can find out when we visit their world.”

“For the trial.”

Bokuto’s voice was worried, and sad, and everything Akaashi didn’t want him to feel tonight. 

“To clear Kuroo’s name,” Akaashi corrected, pulling away slightly as the song came to an end. “It will be alright, Koutarou. Everything will be fine.”

Pensive was not a good look on Bokuto. Well, everything was a good look on Bokuto, but right now Akaashi wanted him to be happy. He curled his fingers under Bokuto’s chin and looked him dead in the eye, watching as warmth slowly blossomed in those golden eyes. 

There. That was what he wanted.

“I love you, Akaashi,” Bokuto blurted out.

“Love you too, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi replied, favoring him with the slightest of smiles. “I am feeling a bit thirsty, though. Do you think you could go grab me a glass of champagne?”

“Of course!”

Akaashi watched Bokuto bounded away. Even his hair seemed more energized now. So adorable. Chuckling to himself, Akaashi pulled out his phone, scrolling through the pictures he’d been able to take of the ceremony before sending one to Sarukui. He’d make sure it got forward to the rest of the bunch.

He was looking through others, thinking about sending a couple more when the phone rang.

“Hey,” Akaashi said, allowing a fond smile to come onto his face as Bokuto stopped a waiter and started pestering him about the food.

“Captain sure knows how to fill out a uniform,” Sarukui said. “I thought he might’ve been getting a little too paunchy, but he still looks pretty good.”

“Why yes,” Akaashi purred, “I know.” 

Bokuto indeed looked incredible, especially when he smiled. Even if that smile was directed toward the little blond girl - Yachi? - from Karasuno. Yamaguchi was right behind them. Glancing around for Tsukishima, Akaashi continued, “How're things back at headquarters?”

“Eh, you know. Pretty good so far as I can tell. We’ve had a few electronic intrusion attempts, about what you’d expect after a thing like this. Komi went down to check on the guys a little while ago, make sure they don’t need anything. Really it’s just another day, right? Almost easier without all the officials to keep track of. At least prisoners don’t do crazy things like try to skip their security detail.”

Akaashi chuckled. “Yeah. Well, keep an eye out anyways, alright? Just in case.”

“You got one of those feelins?”

Opening his mouth Akaashi prepared to deny it, but that wouldn’t’ve been the truth. Pursuing his lips he considered. There was no rational reason for him to feel anything other than happy. Still, something was niggling at the back of his mind, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. “Maybe,” Akaashi admitted. 

“Huh.”

It wasn’t that his feelings were all that important, mind, but there had been moments when they’d all worked together where Akaashi’s intuition had come in handy. “Just, ah -”

“I think I’ll go down and check on Komi and the others. Just to make sure.”

“Alright.”

“Probably nothin.”

“Yeah.”

Bokuto was looking over at him and waving. Motioning like he was asking if Akaashi was in a hurry for his drink - and food. Bokuto was bringing food.

For food, Akaashi could wait for a few minutes more. Especially if Bokuto was having fun.

He deserved it.

~~~~  
The night air was cool against Kenma’s skin. Not too cool. Not cold, but rather the almost perfect temperature that was balanced by the heat trapped his kimono’s layers of silk. A breeze was coming off the water, stars shining down out of a moonless sky.

Inside, music was playing, muted by closed doors and heavy curtains. Kenma was thankful for that. He wasn’t averse to music by any means, but he was feeling a bit of sensory overload from everything that had happened so far that evening. Sighing, he curled his hands around the stone of the railing, closing his eyes and focusing on the sound of water lapping against the shore.

His brain started analyzing the pattern of the rhythm without him even thinking about it. That was odd. Opening his eyes he looked out over the water, picking out small dark shapes in the distance. Probably just local fishermen out at night. Would there be fishing on this lake? He frowned, annoyed that his knowledge of the planet wasn’t extensive enough to let him know if the boats were unusual or not. He thought it was strange they were so dark, but then maybe fish were scared off by lights.

Too many facts he didn’t have access too.

Huffing, he decided to let the thought lie, determining that he was probably calmed down enough to at least look around.

“Do you mind if I join you?” asked a man behind him.

“Tsukishima,” Kenma said, glancing at the man thoughtfully. The question seemed an honest inquiry, not just an assumption that Kenma would say yes because it was the socially acceptable thing to do. He appreciated that.

He wondered, if they’d stayed here longer, if he and Tsukishima would’ve become friends.

Ah well. It wasn’t like leaving would cut those opportunities short.

“I don’t mind,” Kenma answered, turning back to the water. 

The other man came up to the railing, a quiet presence thoughtful enough to stay an arm’s length away. For a few moments, they just sat there in silence.

Maybe Tsukishima would know about the fishing boats.

Before Kenma had a chance to ask, Tsukishima said, “So. Akaashi and Bokuto.”

“And Kuroo,” Kenma said, inhaling the cool air. “Does that bother you?”

“No. It was unexpected in some ways, but only a minor inconvenience.”

Kenma nodded, thinking through all the conversations he’d been witness to where Tsukishima had been mentioned, running through the images of him at the party tonight. “Your friends,” Kenma started, pursing his lips as he tried to remember their names.

“Any ones in particular?” Tsukishima asked.

Lips quirking, Kenma said, “The ones from tonight. The blonde girl in the dress, and the man with freckles. Do you mind if I ask - are you three, ah, hmm.”

He glanced over at Tsukishima to judge how he should proceed, surprised to see that the other man had a bit of color high in his cheeks.

“Is it that obvious?” Tsukishima asked.

“Possibly,” Kenma said, trying to parse out the threads of knowledge that had led him to that particular conclusion. “I think I knew you liked - is his name Yamagushi?”

“Yamaguchi,” Tsukishima answered. “And the woman is Yachi.”

Kenma nodded. “So I knew about Yamaguchi before. I didn’t know you liked Yachi, though.”

“I didn’t either,” Tsukishima muttered. He raised a hand, rubbing the back of his neck. “It was, ah. Unexpected. Many things were, tonight.”

“Good?”

“Yes.”

Kenma nodded, distracted again by the boats - well, by the absence of boats this time.

Tsukishima turned to him. “Can I ask you a question?”

Shrugging, Kenma nodded. 

“Is it hard to make it work? With the four of you.”

That, ah. That was a question he should’ve expected. “Um, could you be more specific?” There were so many things he could be asking about, after all - sex? The relationship in general?

“Is it difficult to - I suppose the emotional aspects. Being fair to everyone involved. I mean, what I feel for Yachi isn’t the same as what I feel for Yamaguchi - I guess I’m just, ah. Concerned.”

“It won’t be the same,” Kenma said. “I mean, it isn’t for me, and it doesn’t seem to be for the others as well. We’re still figuring things out too, ah. I think it’s - no, I know it only works if there’s communication, though.”

Since a lack of communication had gotten them in so much trouble. Hopefully, Tsukishima and his friends wouldn’t have that problem, though. The two he’d seen inside seemed nice. Well, not that Kuroo wasn’t nice - sometimes -

The sound of shouting drew Kenma’s attention away from his musing and he turned, staring at the place where the railing curved around the side of the house. There was a landing in that direction, he realized. A landing with - 

Boats. 

“That’s not good,” Kenma muttered, watching as people started to pour out of the darkened boats, sparks of gunfire splitting the air.

“No,” Tsukishima said, pulling his phone from his pocket. “I’d say not.”

Frowning, Kenma looked around. He had his sword. He wasn’t foolish enough to think that a sword would work well against gunfire, not long distance. Narrowing his eyes he tugged Tsukishima toward the building, cursing as heavy blast doors slid down into the openings, blocking entry or exit. Some of the other partygoers were starting to panic, yelling and doing whatever stupid things stupid people did when they were suddenly aware they were in mortal danger.

Kenma rushed away from the gunfire towards the other end of the balcony area, turning a corner and ducking between two outcroppings as he spied troops coming from the other direction. “I don't suppose you’re armed?” Kenma asked, knowing it was a foolish question. No one but the guards was armed, and it appeared most of them had been locked inside or were otherwise occupied. 

“I am, actually,” Tsukishima said.

Glancing at him, Kenma was surprised to see an energy pistol in his hand. “Sneak it in?”

“Had to leave to go check on something earlier,” Tsukishima replied. “Just got back. They didn’t ask, I didn’t offer.”

“Handy,” Kenma said, unsheathing his sword.

“Interesting,” Tsukishima observed. “I suppose it would be foolish to ask if you know how to use that thing.”

“You can ask. Or you could wait because I believe you’re about to get an up-close demonstration.”

The sounds of fighting were getting nearer. Tsukishima smiled, lips tight. “Pity,” he said. “I was rather fond of this suit.”

“Well, I find that’s one advantage to wearing black and red.”

Then a fighter was rounding on them and Kenma raised his sword, letting it flash through the air towards the man as he focused on the fight at hand.

~~~~~

“Iwa-chan,” Oikawa gasped, head reeling as his best friend shoved him against the wall of the private room. “What are you -”

“It really has been a while, if you don’t know what this is, Shittykawa,” Iwaizumi teased, one leg sliding between Oikawa’s as he pressed their bodies close together.

“I know what this is,” grumbled Oikawa. “And yes it has been a while, thank you very much. I don’t go out and do this with anyone else, you know -”

“Yeah. I know,” said Iwaizumi, pressing their foreheads against each other. 

There was a tenderness in his voice, something sweet that made Oikawa melt. He slid his arms around the other man’s neck, not quite sure what was going on but not in the mood to derail it.

Well. Almost not in the mood.

“Are you sure?” Oikawa asked, terrified suddenly. Scared that this was a mistake, that Iwaizumi would wake up the next morning and hate him, that crossing the line would burn through all the carefully constructed threads of communication they’d built to hold their friendship together after Oikawa’s actions had almost burned it to the ground. “Is this -”

“Oikawa,” Iwaizumi murmured, “I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I should’ve told you how I felt,” he said. “Shouldn’t’ve kept it from you. I didn’t have any hold over you then. You hadn’t made me any promises. I shouldn’t’ve gotten so mad.”

“But -”

“Hush,” Iwaizumi said, bringing fingers up to brush soft against Oikawa’s mouth. “It’s ok, baby. It’s all going to be ok.”

Baby? Iwa-chan was calling him baby?

“Such a meanie,” Oikawa said, feeling tears gather in the corner of his eyes. “What are you even doing to me right now -”

“Something I probably should’ve done a long time ago.”

The press of lips was tentative, careful. Iwaizumi’s hands were trembling as they held his waist. Kisses were different with Iwa-chan. He missed these kisses. He didn’t miss the days when they’d danced around these feelings, playing them off or acting like they were just experimentation - but he missed the kisses.

“Is this ok?” Iwaizumi asked, pulling back to rub his nose against Oikawa’s. “I - I would ask you to dinner or some shit, but we’re about to be cooped up together on a ship for who knows how long and I don’t want to have to -”

“Just kiss me, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said, tugging him close and pressing their lips together himself. There was fight in this kiss - fight and play, lips opening, tongues tasting, hands sliding over clothes that were starting to feel far too hot. He’d dreamed about this moment. Dreamed, and beat himself up over ruining any chance of having this moment, but here it was. Iwaizumi and him. Kissing, holding each other - and if he knew Iwaizumi, it wasn’t just something done on a whim.

Oh, they’d have to talk about it, sure.

They’d do the whole be adults and communicate thing.

But he knew Iwaizumi well enough to know that there was no way his Iwa-chan would be this forward if he hadn’t made up his mind about where he wanted this to go long-term. It made Oikawa want to cry more. It made him want to laugh, want to just step out a moment and breathe, pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, hey -

“What the hell are you trying to do,” Iwaizumi said, breaking the kiss and turning around.

“Ah! Oh, um. I was -”

“Are you pinching yourself, Shittykawa? This had better not be some weird sex thing you picked up -”

“Iwa-chan! Ew, no!” Oikawa said, pouting just at the thought. “I just wanted to make sure I was awake.”

The look of stoic silence Iwaizumi gave him had him worried he’d said the wrong thing. Oikawa swallowed, leaning back against the wall, concerned. 

“Do you dream of me often, Tooru?” Iwaizumi asked.

Swallowing, Oikawa pursed his lips, caught between so many conflicting emotions. “Hajime,” he murmured, trying to gather himself into one place. The words just kept slipping away, though. He was normally so good with his words, plying them to suit his purposes - but he didn’t want to play games now. Not with Iwaizumi.

Iwaizumi knew him well enough that no words seemed needed, though.

Leaning forward Iwaizumi kissed him again. Sweet, sweet kisses, kisses that had Oikawa melting, holding Iwaizumi tight because he never wanted to let him go. Love. He loved this man. Loved him so much. He’d waited for this moment for so long, lost hope that it would ever happen. Something had changed. He didn’t know what, but he was so thankful, even if he was terrified that Iwaizumi would change his mind and pull away.

For now, he’d take this moment, cataloging the sensations so that he could hold them close. 

A bite to his lower lip had him gasping.

“You’re thinking too much, Shittykawa,” Iwaizumi growled, pressing closer. “Stop it.”

Oikawa laughed, hearing the overexcited edge in his voice. Calm down, he needed to calm down. He didn't know how, though. For now, he’d just play to his strengths. “Make me, Iwa-chan,” he teased, testing the waters a bit to see if he could do this.

The amused look Iwaizumi gave him had his pulse racing. “Oh, Tooru,” Iwaizumi crooned, “if only you knew of all of the ways I’ve fantasized about doing just that.”

“Oh,” Oikawa said, blinking.

Then the hands on his body were pulling him into an arch, exposing his neck to Iwaizumi’s mouth. A curse slipped out of Oikawa’s lips as Iwaizumi bit down, leg pressing up against Oikawa’s crotch. Hell. This was - it was all that Oikawa to do to just hold onto Iwaizumi’s back, keening as his mouth moved up, sucking hard on Oikawa’s neck. That was going to leave a mark. It made Oikawa want to laugh because he’d wanted this for so long, wanted to be marked up, claimed, Iwaizumi’s in practice and not just in truth. “Hajime,” he gasped out again, bucking up as teeth pressed in and the hand on back slid down to his ass.

“I’m going to make it very clear to you how I feel, Tooru,” Iwaizumi murmured. “I’m so glad you wore a tie with that suit. I think I might ruin it.”

How - why - what -

Then Iwaizumi was kissing him again, hand letting Oikawa’s head fall back to press against the wall as Iwaizumi’s fingers started to tug on the tie around Oikawa’s neck. So - he didn’t know what Iwaizumi was up to, but he honestly didn’t care. He was with Iwaizumi, Iwaizumi was taking over his mouth and pushing inside and it felt like the world was shaking Oikawa was so far gone. The world was shaking, and there were explosions and screams -

Wait.

“Iwa -”

They pulled back from the kiss and looked at each other, listening to the sounds of fighting coming from the rest of the house. 

“That’s not good,” Iwaizumi said. The rest of the team was out there. Out there and unarmed. “We have to go help.”

“Wait!”

Iwaizumi turned to look at him, brow furrowed. “Oikawa, we -”

“I know. Just - I love you, ok? Now - just - just in case.”

Smiling, Iwaizumi pulled him in for a brief kiss. “I love you too. I’ve loved you since I was eight. Sorry it took me so long to say it.”

“Me too, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said, scared but determined. They’d made it through crazy things, this was just one more crazy thing. “Alright.”

Nodding, Iwaizumi went to the door and opened it, glancing around the corner.

“Shit!” he said, backing away from the door and trying to kick it closed. Oikawa caught a glimpse of a ball rolling down the floor of the hall, and then Iwaizumi was pushing him to the floor, covering him with his body. After that, it was just light, and smoke, and a sound so loud he couldn’t hear a thing. Heavy. Everything was so heavy.

“Iwa-chan,” he said, coughing. “Iwa - Iwaizumi! Hajime!”

Iwaizumi was lying on him, blood pouring out from a gash in his temple. There was debris covering his back. 

Debris that was on fire - shit - was he breathing - there was the sound of gunfire just outside in the hall -

“Wake up!” Oikawa hissed, trying to work his arm free of the debris so he could feel for a pulse, but he was caught.

He was caught and Iwaizumi wasn’t moving, wasn’t responding, was just lying there dripping blood onto the side of Oikawa’s neck as the footsteps of the people who’d thrown the grenade rang loudly in his ears, getting closer with every breath.


	60. Knocking Over the Table

Bokuto’s ears were ringing. He shook his head, pushing up off the floor, trying to remember what had just happened. He must’ve blacked out for a second - flashes of memory assaulted him, of yelling at people to get off of the dance floor, watching the ceiling crack open from an explosion upstairs, seeing a handful of small balls roll into the middle of the floor - then -

Everything was in chaos. Pieces of ceiling tile were scattered on the ground around him. Dust filled the air. His ears were assaulted with moans of pain, the thud of fist on flesh, and screams from terrified people. Rolling his head from side to side Bokuto saw bodies on the ground, some covered with blood. Some he recognized. Immediately his thoughts turned toward Kuroo and Akaashi - Kenma too, where was Kenma, outside? The openings that had led outside earlier were now covered with thick metal blast doors.

Attack. They had been attacked. All of the most important people on Aoba had been gathered together in one spot, what better time for an attack. Of course. 

Finally, a familiar figure caught his eye, Akaashi talking to Sugawara on the other side of the hall. Bokuto wanted to race over to him, pull Akaashi away from all this. They’d been through enough. They didn’t need this.

No one did.

There were knots of people fighting between them, though - none in his general vicinity, luckily. He took the time to look around. Yachi and Yamaguchi had just stood up, Yachi immediately rushing off to help a man lift a piece of tile off of Kiyoko. Her arm was bleeding from a stray shard of metal, but Yachi was taking care of it, using the metal to rip strips of cloth from her dress to bind the wound. Yahaba and Kyoutani were apart from the group, fighting with a couple of the black-clad servers who had suddenly attacked the party guests. 

This was crazy. Where was security?

Oh, he saw some guards fighting in pockets. Some were fighting the servers. A couple were fighting Ushiwaka and Reon, which angered Bokuto. Had they just been playing them all this time? He couldn’t think about that now. A more immediate problem presented itself to his right, where Kageyama was tugging debris off an older man.

Bokuto couldn’t see if it was someone he knew, though it looked vaguely familiar. Evidently one of the attackers recognized the man though, yelling and rushing at Kageyama, knife upraised.

Couldn’t Kageyama hear him?

Not thinking, Bokuto jumped into action, blocking the knife-thrust that threatened to impale Kageyama and landing against him in the process. Bokuto narrowed his eyes, twisting the wrist he’d caught and spinning the attacker around, breaking his arm. The man collapsed, whimpering.

“Thanks!” Kageyama yelled, voice far too loud even in this space. 

Bokuto frowned, grabbing the knife off the floor and holding Kageyama’s shoulder. He swayed on his feet, and Bokuto wasn’t sure, but it looked like his pupils were dilated. 

“Are you ok?” Bokuto asked.

“What?” Kageyama asked, loud as before.

“You can’t hear me, can you.”

“Sorry, I can’t hear you!”

Of course. Just great. Shaking his head, Bokuto tried held up two fingers.

“Two? Are you trying - I can see fine, just -”

“Are you two finished? I’m still down here, you know,” broke in another voice.

Belatedly, Bokuto looked down and saw the man at their feet. “President Zuku?” he asked, eyes widening. “What is - here, let's get you up.”

He was really the last person Bokuto wanted to see. Still, he was an important person, and if they were targeting him he’d need protection.

“Damned rebels. Who the hell let them in here,” Zuku said, narrowing his eyes. 

“I’m not - hmm.” 

Looking around again, Bokuto noticed that at least a few of the guards were fighting against each other, some on the side of the people in black. Rebels. That made sense.

“It looks like there’s a group of Fukurodani there on the other side of the room,” Bokuto said. Akaashi was there, hands flying through the air as he fought off a couple of men. “We should probably stay here with the Confederation people - it’s probably safer than trying to -”

“Kunimi!” Kageyama yelled out, starting forward.

Bokuto followed his gaze, recognizing the two men trapped against a pillar midway between them and Akaashi. Kindaichi was on the ground, blood covering the side of his face. Kunimi had a knife and was holding off three crouching attackers, waving the blade through the air.

“Take me to our people. I don’t trust these - hey, where are you going?”

“Come if you’re going to,” Bokuto said, following Kageyama and gripping the knife as he glanced back. “Or stay here. It’ll probably be safer.”

Or not.

Looking behind him Bokuto saw that a group of rebels had cut them off from the Confederation forces. Hopefully, his friends would be alright.

The situation with Kunimi and Kindaichi was the pressing problem right now, though.

Bokuto followed Kageyama through the fray, smashing the butt of his knife on heads and kicking whenever anyone got too close. Looking over he saw one of the sisters from Fukurodani headquarters caught between Ushiwaka and Reon. Damned Shiratorizawa. It made him want to be everywhere at once, but he couldn’t.

Kageyama was cutting through the crowd like a knife through butter, a little off-balance but showing more skill than any of the rebels. It reminded Bokuto of the way Hinata fought. Using a roundhouse kick Kageyama took out one of the men threatening Kunimi, yelling loudly and smashing his head against the forehead of another man who turned to face him.

“Oh. Damn,” said Kageyama, stumbling back the other man went down.

“Kageyama?”Kunimi asked, panting.

Sighing, Bokuto took out two of the other attackers, shoving the president behind him. The final one turned and fled, yelling something. 

A name.

Zuku’s name.

It caught the attention of one of the guards who had turned to fight with the rebels - a captain if Bokuto read his uniform right. This was not good. This really was not good.

“Oh good,” Zuku said, sighing with relief. “Jiro’s coming. At least now I’ll have someone competent to guard me.”

Cursing, Bokuto watched as the man pulled a ball out of his pocket, giving a wicked grin and pressing in on the detonator.

“Kageyama, Kunimi - can you move Kindaichi? Because we - oh fuck -”

Grabbing Zuku, Bokuto looked back to find Kunimi pulling Kindaichi off the floor with Kageyama’s woozy help. The ball bounced their way, beeping. Grenade. The beeping had just changed from the long beeps to short. They weren’t going to be able to get out of the way in time. Taking a chance, Bokuto kicked it through back toward Jiro, allowing himself a moment of shocked exaltation when his aim was actually. Cursing, the guard managed to divert it toward the center of the room, jumping away as it exploded, sending even more debris everywhere.

Unfortunately, the man didn’t stay down. 

Watching as Jiro pushed up and started at them, Bokuto said, “Let’s move - gotta get - Akaashi -”

Glancing over he saw that Akaashi was looking at them, quietly determined. Then Akaashi’s eyes widened suddenly as he started rushing their way. 

Whipping his head around, Bokuto saw who had startled Akaashi. He shoved Zuku onto the floor and out of the way of the knife that was slashing his way, growling at the grubby-faced woman in black serving uniform that had been trying to kill him.

“You Fukurodani,” she spit out. “Stealing our resources, poisoning our kids - and you! Seijou! Selling out! You all deserve death!”

Her knife was bigger than his.

That wasn’t good.

He still had reach on her, but there were too many people coming their way, more and more of the rebels seeming to realize where President Zuku was.

“Jiro?” Zuku asked, voice quivering.

Like that bastard. 

“Kageyama - fuck,” Bokuto said, backing up when he remembered Kageyama couldn’t hear him.

“He’s out,” Kunimi said. “Probably has a concussion.”

“Yeah, not good, not good.”

“Hanamaki and Matsukawa are on their way though, with Akaashi.”

“Good,” the woman spat out, trying to get past Bokuto’s guard. “Easier to kill if you’re all in one spot.”

Growling, Bokuto pulled back and then yanked the woman forward when she tried to slash into the opening, smashing his arm into her throat.

There, one down.

But Jiro was still coming, pushing past guards who got caught up with other rebels. From the looks of things, the guards would soon be overtaken.

Movement to the left caught his eye. Two more of the Shiratorizawa people were working their way towards them, moving as a team to slide around anyone in their way. 

That wasn’t good. 

Bokuto was quickly starting to feel outnumbered. Akaashi and the others had run into a knot of people.

Then all of a sudden it didn’t matter, because Jiro was there, knife in hand.

“Jiro?” Zuku asked. “But - you’re one of my guards, my best guards! You aren’t like the other dirty mongrels from this planet!”

A burst of anger rose up in Bokuto at the words, making him wonder why no one had tried to kill Zuku before. Maybe Kunimi would take initiative. 

“Thanks for the access,” Jiro said, twirling the knife in his hand. “Helped us set everything up for this.”

“You did this? You -”

They didn’t have time for this. Shiratorizawa would get there soon, and then the other rebels - Bokuto didn’t want to have to fight them all at once. 

“Hey,” Bokuto said, waving his knife. “You just gonna stand around all day blabbing about your evil plan or are we gonna fight? Because if not, I have some friends I wouldn’t mind getting to.

Dark eyes narrowed, and then Jiro grinned. “Sure, we can fight. I’d love to take out Fukurodani’s latest puppet hero.”

Adrenaline sped through Bokuto’s veins, and he returned the grin. “Let’s get to it then.”

~~~~~~

Oh, how Kuroo wished that his intuition had been wrong. The lights had gone out after an explosion a few minutes prior, leaving them to inch along the hallway. To top it off, ever since the explosion, their phones had stopped working. 

“Do you know who they might be?” Kuroo hissed, trying to see ahead with what little light was filtering in under doors.

“Isn’t there a faction of freedom fighters on this planet?” Tendou asked, inching along behind him. “There’s always a faction of freedom fighters on planets like this. The Coppers are softhearted about them, probably don’t crack down hard like the Katys do - I doubt any Kingdomtide party would ever be crashed like this.”

“Yeah, because we’re the ones who would probably be working security.”

Not that Kuroo had ever pulled a gig like that, but everyone knew Kingdomtide liked using Justice tribe-members are guards. They tried using them as enforcers on some of their protectorate planets, but not even the lowest tribe-members could pervert their sense of justice for that. He’d heard stories.

Another explosion rocked the floor, and Kuroo cursed. A part of him was furious at the rebels, wanting to blame them for not knowing how good they had it.

But then he relented. He’d never had to live under occupation, after all.

“It might be Daishou,” Kuroo offered, fingers curling around the edge of the wall they were following. “Careful, it splits here.”

He didn’t know what direction to take. Should probably go back, find Bokuto and Akaashi. What were they -

“Go left,” Tendou hissed. 

“Left?”

“Yeah. There’s a control room on the second floor here, a set of stairs at the back. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s a fair bet we’ll be able to have better access there. That’s probably where they’re jamming our phones, too. Want me to lead?”

Frowning, Kuroo thought this over. “Sure,” he said slowly, waiting while Tendou felt his way past him. 

Tendou’s eyes flashed yellow as he glanced over his shoulder, skin starting to glow softly. It didn’t illuminate any of the hall - was really just a trick of perception, their nanites sending out short-range signals to each other - but his brain processed it as sight. It made it easier to follow the other man.

He should’ve thought of that.

Should’ve thought of a lot of things.

It made sense to try and find the control room, he supposed - it would be the central hub for all the computers that ran the house’s security. He knew it was always good to have at least one person watching the computers.

That one person was Kenma.

A part of him wanted to rush back and find Kenma, find Bokuto, Akaashi, Kageyama, all his friends -

But Tendou knew where the control room was, and at least one of them probably needed to go to the there and try to assess the situation from there. If nothing else, they would be more likely to be able to contact the outside.

As they walked along, a thought struck him.

“How did you know where the control room was?” Kuroo asked, carefully following Tendou as the crept through the halls. The sounds of screams and explosions were muffled in the distance. So far, they hadn’t encountered anyone along their journey. He doubted that would remain true.

Tendou hummed, testing a door. Frowning when it didn’t budge, he placed a hand on the control panel next to it. After a minute, the door popped open. 

“It seemed like a good thing to know,” he said. “I try to study blueprints whenever I can, just in case something like this happens.”

“Does this type of thing happen often when you’re around?”

“More often than you think,” Tendou replied, glancing back with a wide grin. “Better safe than sorry, anyhow.”

“Yeah,” Kuroo muttered.

It made sense. It all made sense. He still didn’t like it. The whole situation felt off to him - it wasn’t his first time dealing with a terrorist attack, and he was trained to be able to react calmly and professionally in emergency situations, but this was different. He’d come to the party expecting to be a guest, not security. His lack of a weapon really bothered him. The dark bothered him. Hell, Tendou bothered him, though the man’s behavior was probably perfectly ordinary for a data-freak.

Still, he made him uneasy.

The door led into a stairwell lit with emergency lights. Thankful for that, they looked around before starting up. As they got to the second-floor landing they heard voices outside the door.

Two - no, three. Two people talking, but talking to a third. It was hard to pick out their conversation, it seemed rushed and angry. 

He made a motion to Tendou - wait or go?

Tendou held up a hand, tilting his head and pursing his lips.

Wait. They could wait. 

The people outside the door started to move away, and Kuroo relaxed. Then the door into the stairwell was pushed open.

Swallowing a curse, Kuroo watched as a surprised man took in the sight of a wild-haired redhead standing in the stairwell and waving hello with a huge grin on his face.

The man barely had time to take in a breath and start a yell before Kuroo clocked him in the back of the head, pushing him forward towards Tendou, who tripped him on the way down.

“I hope he’s not someone who’s supposed to be here,” Kuroo said, watching as Tendou rolled the man over.

“I think it’s safe to say yes,” said Tendou, pointing out the bloody knife-hole in the man’s uniform shirt. 

“Good, because -”

There was a rush of footsteps coming down the corridor. One of the man’s friends tried to burst through the door but Kuroo slammed it shut on her wrist, making her yell out in pain. When Kuroo opened the door she fell through, moaning.

He probably shouldn’t kill them. Would it be a bad idea to kill them? He hesitated, considering non-lethal methods before a knife flew by him, burying itself in the chest of the third person of the group. She dropped the communicator she’d been speaking into and fell to the floor, staring lifelessly down the hall.

“Miku!” yelled the woman at Kuroo’s feet. “You corporate bastards!”

Narrowing his eyes, Kuroo knelt and slammed her head against the floor.

“Break her skull?” Tendou asked.

“Hopefully not. We should probably tie the two of them up, anyhow. Gag them.”

“If the other woman was able to get a message out we’re going to get company soon.”

“True.”

Kuroo searched the woman’s body. She had a couple of small balls in her pockets - grenades. Explosive grenades. It could be worse, they could be acid - but if they’d been using grenades earlier, he didn’t feel so bad about knocking her out. He still hoped she wasn’t dead.

Tendou didn’t seem to be concerned with the life he’d taken, though. He just stepped past Kuroo and picked up the communicator, listening to it a moment before motioning down the hall.

The lights were still on up here. Gone were the nice paneling and fancy carpet, though - these were truly the back halls, where servants of the rich owners went about their business. Soon they were at the control room door. It was locked, of course, but Satori’s trick worked just as well with this door as it had the one into the stairwell. 

Data-freaks.

Kuroo supposed it wasn't totally unfair that their nanites could hack just about any electronic circuit board they came in contact with, but it was still annoying.

There were two people inside the control room. Kuroo only saw one of them at first, a man wearing the familiar Fukurodani uniform. It made him relax for a second before realizing the other did not look like a guard.

She stood, tossing long brown hair over her shoulder. “Are you two the ones who’ve been causing trouble?” she asked.

“I’m fairly sure you all are the ones making trouble here tonight,” Tendou said. “Now why can’t we just make this easy - skip the fight, avoid grievous bodily harm on both sides, and you two call it a night?”

The woman’s response was to launch herself at Tendou, weirdly-painted nails glinting as they aimed for his throat.

That would never do. Not because he had a particular fondness for Tendou, but still. It was the principle of the thing.

Lunging forward Kuroo pushed Tendou out of the way, knocking the woman’s arm to the side and spinning her around. She landed on the floor but recovered easily, crouching with a wary regard in front of the door. 

She was all in black, but it was different than the clothes the others had been wearing, the ones in the stairwell. This was skintight, almost shimmering as it stretched from between her fingers and back over her arms, coming together at a tight collar around her throat. The shells curling around her ears were a familiar olive-green - though Kuroo didn’t know for sure that meant she was Daishou’s.

It made him more wary of her nails, though.

Behind him, he heard Tendou’s triumphant cry and the sound of a body hitting the ground. 

The woman’s face twisted in a scowl. “How annoying,” she said, pursing her lips. “No one was supposed to be able to make it up here - wait, you’re Kuroo, aren’t you?”

“I am,” he said, eyeing her body carefully to see if she’d telegraph her next move. “You know me?”

“Heard rumors,” she muttered, darting in and then slipping away when he grabbed at her. Those nails - he couldn’t be sure they weren’t coated in poison. He’d known some of Nohebi’s fighters that used that trick, and he wouldn’t put it past Daishou to have his people use poison that would affect Alephians, just for spite.

“Are you Nohebi?” he asked, wishing he had a knife or something to extend his reach. That, or something besides dress clothes to protect his skin.

“Nohebi, hmm?” she purred, feinting to the right.

Kuroo smashed his fist down on her arm, twisting to avoid the follow-up blow she sent his way. 

She cursed and jumped back against the door, tilting her head to the side. “This is so annoying,” she grumbled. “Why don’t you just make this easy and let me kill you like a nice boy would, hmm?.”

“Better than you have tried it, sweetheart.”

“Only takes one to succeed, darling.”

Her eyes looked wild as she said it, and he didn’t doubt for one second that she was fully serious. She crouched, and he sighed internally, faltering a bit when the sounds of people screaming started to spill from the speakers.

“Fuck,” Kuroo said, jumping back as the woman tried to take his momentary distraction as an opening.

“Aww, poor Kuroo,” she said, voice singsong. “I think your friends are dying, isn’t it a shame. Rebels are so easily manipulated, don’t you think?”

“Tendou?” Kuroo asked.

“Working on it,” the other man said, voice flat. “Keep the bitch occupied.”

“Yes, why don’t you,” she purred. “I didn’t expect the night to get this interesting, but I’m more than happy to put my name on your dance card.”

Oh, that was just lovely.

~~~~~~~

Komi was freakin' hilarious. 

“And then I told her, lady, I don’t know what planet you’re from, but that’s not a mouse!”

The whole guard room cracked up. Hinata couldn’t help it, gales of laughter escaped his mouth and he slapped his leg, trying not to choke. “Ah, Komi man, you’re the best. How have we never hung out before?”

“Well, there was that one time -”

“Yeah, yeah, but - dude, we should actually hang out. You know, with beer.”

“Yeah, Komi is pretty awesome,” one of the guards said. Manzo, Hinata thought he was called

“Hey!” said Roka, one of the others. “No flirting, you wanna get your ass kicked?’

Komi just grinned at them, waggling his eyebrows and leaning back against Sarukui.

“Man, hanging out with you guys is a hell of a lot more fun than a stupid party,” said Hinata. I’m glad there was chatter that someone might be attempting to rescue the prisoner, pulled me away from the boredom."

“Ugh yeah, man, that would’ve been such a drag,” Komi said, rubbing his nose. “We weren’t even on the short list.”

“Yeah, well, Captain Jiro handpicked everyone for the party’s security, so we’ve got him to thank,” said Roka.

“You think they would’ve at least let us eat leftovers?” Manzo asked.

“Eh, the food was alright,” said Hinata. “I prefer the Sukiyaki joint down near Nayuno.”

“The one where the waitstaff wears those golden aprons with red lettering?” Komi asked, leaning forward with excitement. “And they have that one waitress with a pierced left nipple?”

Pausing his nodding, Hinata blinked. “Uh, I have no clue about the nipple,” he said, looking from Komi to Sarukui in confusion. “How do you...”

“Eh? She showed us. Kept touchin' her boob so Saru asked about it.”

The man in question snorted. “Bullshit,” he muttered.

“She probably thought he was cute - which he is, obviously - and even offered to let us touch.”

Hinata stared at them. “Was she really a waitress?”

“Huh, now that you mention it,” Komi said, exchanging glances with Sarukui, “I’m not fully certain she was. She was pretty insistent on taking our order, though.”

Mulling over this bit of information, Hinata said, “So did you?”

“Did I what?”

“Touch her nipple piercing.”

Komi made a face. “Naw, man. I mean, I get to play with Saru’s piercing whenever I want, why the fuck would I touch some girl’s nipple?”

The man squeezed his boyfriend’s thigh and gave him a lewd wink, earning him a light backhanded slap on the shoulder. Sarukui then pushed up from the bench where they were sitting, mumbling something Hinata didn’t catch.

“Are you leaving us?” Hinata asked. The tall man was quiet, but it was funny to watch his facial expressions shift as Komi spoke. Hinata had enough experience observing Matsukawa that he knew what amused, annoyed, and bored looked like on even the most deadpan face.

“Naw man, he just has to go take a shit,” Komi said.

Sarukui cuffed him upside the head, giving him a fond smile. “Just a piss. I’ll be back.”

“Oi!” Komi said, watching him walk out of the room. “Make sure you wash your hands this time!”

Hinata laughed as Sarukui flipped Komi off before he wandered down the hallway. 

“So those pictures ‘Kaashi sent of Bokuto were pretty hilarious, right? Was he all badass in front of the crowd or was he nervous? I bet he was a badass. Boss is always kind of a badass even if he is goofy sometimes.”

Hinata wasn’t entirely sure Komi was right about Bokuto being goofy, but then again, those two had known each other a lot longer than he’d known Bokuto. “He seemed a little nervous, but in a way that not everyone could really tell? Most of the people around seemed overawed by him. The hero of Fukurodani.”

Komi snorted. “Yeah, that sounds like him. Hero of Fukurodani. I like it. He used to have to do those things all the time, you know? We’d fight other teams, back at school, and almost always won. He was the kind of captain that made the people on the opposing teams get all pissy, but they couldn’t help but respect him. Of course, we actually knew him, knew the real backbone of the team was Akaashi, but it didn’t matter. You get one of em, you get the other. That’s how it works. Miss those two.”

“How come you guys aren’t working as a unit now?” asked Manzo.

“Ah! Funny story, that - eh?”

A new guard, corporal by his stripes, had opened the door. “Shift change,” he said, waving at them. “You all can go.”

Roka frowned. “But shift change isn’t for another hour -”

“I dunno, boss’s orders. You wanna take it up with her, or take the extra hour off and like it?”

The guards Hinata and Komi had been talking to exchanged looks, then shrugged and started packing up their things.

“You two can leave too,” the corporal said, motioning to Hinata and Komi.

“No can do,” Hinata said, flashing his badge. “CoP representative, just here to observe and aid if necessary. We got word of a possible rescue attempt.”

“That so?” the man, watching the other guards shuffle out, waving goodbye. “What about you?”

“About the same, but for the investigative division,” said Komi, a note in his voice that drew Hinata’s attention.

Hinata turned to Komi, seeing him appraise all of the new guards who filed in - more than before. Maybe that was in response to the reported threat? Pulling out his phone, Hinata checked for notifications, frowning when he saw Kageyama had failed to text him the next move in their game. He tried sending a message to him. It failed. That was odd.

“Excuse me,” he said, standing and moving to the hall while Komi and the corporal engaged in idle chitchat.

A call to Kageyama failed as well. A call to Tsukishima went through, but he didn’t pick up. A quick call to headquarters for a status check and - shit.

_Please be advised that a terrorist attack is ongoing at the Fukurodani Awards Ceremony. All agents not assigned to a post are asked to report immediately for further assignments._

Shit. Shit. He hadn’t received the notification because he was assigned to a post, but still, they should’ve let him know! Rushing back in the room Hinata said, “Komi, they’re - Komi?”

Komi was fighting against the grip of two guards, looking none too happy.

That wasn’t the most striking thing about the view, however.

The most striking thing was the gun in the corporal’s hand, black hole of its barrel pointed directly at Hinata’s chest. 

“Welcome back.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Btw thanks to Ugg for looking over my Komi/Sarukui characterization!! The whole Fikurodani team is awesome and needs more love. Check out their story [The Roost](http://archiveofourown.org/works/6144124/chapters/14077756) \- it is amazing, steampunk and creative af and on point for some of the most underrated chars in the fandom!


	61. Trying to salvage the pieces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to Kristin, Ava, and Claudiyaa for looking this over for me <3 <3

Objectively, Akaashi knew things were loud. People were getting hurt, screaming. Moving fast. Attacking each other. Trying to attack him. Objectively, Akaashi knew all of this, but most of it barely registered.

He was too focused on Bokuto to notice much of anything.

Bokuto, his best friend, the man he’d dedicated his life to, the man who was the focus of a knot of attackers and all because of that stupid -

“Daichi!” Sugawara shouted, breaking Akaashi’s focus. 

He looked over, saw a man with a knife trying to shove it into his friend’s unprotected back. In a second, Akaashi knew several things. First, Daichi was too busy grappling with the person in front of him to recognize the danger behind. Second, Sugawara was six feet away, barely holding his own against a woman wielding what looked like a broken chair leg. Third, there was a chance that Akaashi could get there in time.

He didn’t really process any of those thoughts, not consciously at least. He just blinked and found himself with a hand on the asshole’s neck, tossing him back to the floor and kicking the knife up into the air before catching it in his hand.

Then it was just the question of whether or not to kill him.

He kicked him in the head instead, trusting that would probably knock the man out.

“Come on,” he growled, looking back at Sugawara. Matsukawa and Hanamaki had come to his defense, helping to beat off the next group of attackers. They just kept coming, more and more and Bokuto -

Akaashi had watched war movies before. Even seen ancient videos that were supposed to be from Earth, ones that seemed full of chaos. He’d never really understood what it would be like to be on a battlefield.

He never wanted to be on one again.

Sugawara and the others caught up to them. The broken chair leg was now in Sugawara’s hand, dripping with blood. Akaashi didn’t even look to see whose it was. It obviously wasn’t Sugawara's.

A part of Akaashi wondered if they should be looking for some way to fix this that didn’t involve mass violence. The phones didn’t work, they knew that; it had been the first thing he’d tried. If only - well, considering that some of the guards had turned traitor, it was probably a good thing that no one had come in armed with guns. It was amazing what people would use as weapons when their options were limited, though. The explosives, for instance, were probably made from seemingly normal household chemicals that had been brought in by cleaning crews and caterers. Various pieces of furniture had been disassembled for use as blunt objects, and there were, of course, the kitchen knives. Kenma’s sword would have come in handy right about now.

Akaashi hadn’t seen Kenma in a while. Hadn’t seen Kuroo. Anxiety for his boyfriends soured his stomach, and a part of him wanted to insist that if they ever got out of this they would never leave each other’s sight again.

A foolish thought, but even he had those on occasion.

Ahead of him, he saw another knot of people to the side. He was planning to pass them by because they weren’t turning any attention to him and the others, but then -

Blonde hair. Platinum blonde hair. White uniform.

He knew that -

He looked over and saw that only one of the sisters from corporate was visible across the room. 

This was probably -

Ryukyu. That was their family name, right? He didn’t know which one it was, but he knew they were both important.

Instinct warred with duty in his brain, the desire to get to Bokuto as fast as possible fighting with the knowledge that it was likely the other sister was in trouble. He didn’t exactly have a positive view of them, considering what Bokuto had told him, but still -

Duty was duty, and Bokuto could handle himself.

“We need to -” Akaashi yelled, grunting as Mattsun pulled him out of the path of a random chair that had been flung in their direction. “Thanks. Over there, we need to -”

Makki was starting towards the group before Akaashi half-finished the sentence, like he and Mattsun shared some psychic connection even though the were several yards apart from each other. Daichi and Suga followed, letting Akaashi take up the rear with Mattsun. It didn’t take too much to pull back the people who’d been threatening to overwhelm Ryukyu and her guard. The guard, also a woman, looked somewhat worse for wear. The arm of her suit jacket had been torn, and there were burn marks on her shoulder. 

Sugawara bashed his makeshift weapon against the skull of a man who managed to push the guard onto the floor, and Daichi pulled him back, turning to face Ryukyu. Her face was stoic as she gave him a challenging frown, lifting up a kitchen knife in her own defense.

A bloody kitchen knife.

Still, there wasn’t need for any violence. 

“Ryukyu-san,” Akaashi said. “We’re on your side.”

“As if anyone on this bloody planet -” Ryukyu spat, then took a breath, standing up straight and putting her shoulders back. Makki and Mattsun had subdued the rest of the opponents that had been surrounding her and were standing back to back, growling at anyone who dared come close. Looking around, she said, “My sister -”

“I don’t know,” Akaashi said. He looked over. Her sister was still caught between Ushijima and Reon. She looked to be unharmed, but it was hard to tell if that was because they were protecting her or because they’d taken her prisoner. Honestly, Akaashi wasn’t sure what to think about them. They were mercenaries, after all. Any rules they played by were of their own devising.

Even he had a hard time reading their intentions in this. 

Either way, they could only do so much right now. Looking down, he saw that Daichi was checking out the guard’s wounds. “Is she movable?” Akaashi asked.

“She’d better be,” Mattsun said. “We’re far too exposed, and if you don’t mind me saying, lady, you stand out a bit.”

“Lady?” she asked.

“Hey, at least he didn’t call you princess,” said Makki, laughing as Mattsun elbowed him.

Akaashi was worried Ryukyu would get upset at that, but instead, she laughed. 

“Point taken,” she said, reaching down and pulling off a piece of cloth that had been wrapped around one of the attacker’s arms. Lifting it up, she gathered her hair and tied it around her head. “That should help for now. I’m assuming you want to go and join your partner, Akaashi-san?”

“Yes,” Akaashi said, blinking in surprise as she continued the transformation, shucking off her uniform jacket to reveal a dark blue undershirt. “That is, if -”

“I’m fine,” the guard said, getting to her feet with Daichi’s help. “We need to get Ryukyu-sama to safety.”

“Aki -” Ryukyu started to say.

“Ma’am.”

Something passed between them, but it wasn’t any of Akaashi’s business. Instead, he turned and surveyed the people in front of them, heart clenching in his chest as he saw the opponent rushing towards Bokuto.

“Let’s hurry,” he said, starting out. “As fast as we can.”

“Got it,” said Makki, and Sugawara nodded, stepping into place beside Akaashi. 

Bokuto could take care of himself, but that didn’t mean Akaashi didn’t plan on helping him do it. At least, as much as he could.

~~~~~~~

“Hajime!” Oikawa hissed, trying to worm his way free of the dead weight of his best friend lying on top of them. He coughed, smoke from the explosion filling the air around them. There was blood - too much blood, no it was ok, head wounds bled a lot, it probably didn’t mean anything but oh shit oh shit -

Iwaizumi wasn’t responding. 

He heard the crunch of footsteps and the creak of a door opening. All he could think was that someone had attacked them. Iwaizumi had protected him. Now, though, Oikawa could do nothing to return the favor but try to hold onto his wits. Honestly, he wanted to cry, or move, or yell, or something. There was a chair on fire in the corner of his vision. He couldn't move Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi might have wounds on his back, there might be something lying on him that Oikawa couldn't see, what if there was something sticking into Iwaizumi and blocking one of his major arteries, what if pulling it out would make him bleed out -

There was a grunt, and suddenly some of the weight on Oikawa’s legs shifted. 

“Is he still -” came a voice.

“I think so, yes,” said another person. 

Oikawa knew that voice, vaguely. Knew both of them - though the knowledge didn’t exactly make him feel better. 

Knees came into his vision, followed by hands and a head with a crazy slanted bowl cut, confirming what Oikawa had guessed. The mercenaries. Was this a betrayal?

He tried to steel himself for the worst, trying to get a hold on his temper just in case he could talk his way out of this. For Iwaizumi. Iwaizumi who loved - whose blood was dripping onto Oikawa’s hand - 

“Well, Oikawa-san is alive at least,” Shirabu said, face expressionless. “Are you in pain?”

“I -” Oikawa started, heart going triple-time. “Did you - are you the ones who threw -”

“What?” asked the first voice. “The grenade? Fuck no, why would you -”

“We aren’t here to hurt you,” Shirabu murmured, grimacing a bit as he glanced back towards the other man. 

Semi, Oikawa thought. Probably the one they called Semi, the one with really strange hair. 

Shirabu reached out and pressed two fingers against Iwaizumi’s neck, letting out a careful breath. “He’s alive,” Shirabu said. “I'm worried about that wound in his lower back, though - do you think it’s safe to move him?”

“Here, let me try this.”

They moved about. Alive. Iwaizumi was alive. Well obviously, he was breathing, breathing against Oikawa’s cheek now that he thought about it, but -

Back wounds. Blood. Oikawa couldn’t do anything.

The other two walked away a moment and seemed to be conferring. Oikawa heard a bang, and then a slight screeching noise, and the scrape of metal against tile as the two came back over.

“We’re going to roll him off onto this,” Semi said. “It’s not the best, but it’ll do for the moment, I think.”

It wasn’t like Oikawa could stop them. Wasn’t like he wanted to stay under Iwaizumi, trapped and unable to move. 

“On three,” Shirabu murmured. “One, two -”

They rolled Iwaizumi off him and onto a sheet of metal. Oikawa thought it had probably been a wall panel just a few minutes before. There were scorches on the sides.

Iwaizumi was alive. Iwaizumi was breathing.

Everything felt vaguely surreal. Semi was checking over Iwaizumi, lifting up his eyelids and peering into them. Every time Semi touched him Oikawa wanted to yell, scream, shout.

“You may be in some shock,” Shirabu murmured, kneeling next to Oikawa. Fingers wrapped around his wrist, pressing against his pulse point. Shirabu frowned, then glanced toward the door, eyes narrowing. “I think he’s stable, Semi. Are you hurting anywhere, Oikawa-san?”

Shirabu had asked him that before, Oikawa remembered. Words. He needed to reply, but that required words.

“I’m fine,” Oikawa managed to say.

His back hurt, and his hands were probably scraped up, but that was just from the force of the fall. Iwaizumi had shielded him from everything. Iwaizumi -

“I think we can afford to move him,” said Semi, standing up and stalking around the room. “Ah, but I’ll need help. Aha!”

Oikawa stood, rubbing his arms and watching as Semi pulled two black long poles out of a closet. There were flags on the ends of them, flags from two nations from Aoba’s past that now existed only as special clubs for those nostalgic enough to celebrate them. Evidently, Semi wasn’t one of those, because he made short work of cutting the flags away from the poles and bringing them back to where Iwaizumi lay. 

“These should help,” Semi said, laying them on the ground and slipping them under the raised panel. They were just thin enough to slip between the metal edges and the ground, and Semi looked pleased with the result. “See? Instant stretcher.”

“I’d prefer if we had a cord or something to tie him down with,” Shirabu muttered, “but I suppose it will have to do.”

“I’ll carry him,” Oikawa said. “Ah, though where are we going?”

The other two exchanged looks. 

“Um,” Shirabu said, “How about you follow me, and then Semi, you take the rear? Will that work? Are you strong enough to carry the stretcher, though?”

Oikawa recoiled a bit, wanting to yell at the suggestion he might be weak. That was stupid, though. That wasn't what Shirabu meant, he was just worried because -

Suspicion and worry pressed in against him. The sound of a beam crashing outside the room made him jump, and he looked, wide-eyed, at the door. There were faint screams coming from the direction of the main ballroom. This was the last place Oikawa had expected to fall under attack.

He supposed that said something about his expectations.

Semi narrowed his eyes at Oikawa and said, “I’m sure he can carry it just fine. If not, you do it. We need to move.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” said Shirabu, cursing slightly. “Alright, Oikawa, you get the head and Semi will take the feet. We need to hurry. Try to be quiet so we can avoid any patrols they might have going on, too, we don’t want them to follow us to her.”

“Her?” Oikawa asked, brow furrowing as he moved to pick up his end.

Shirabu looked over at Semi, shaking his head and giving a slight chuckle. “Yeah,” he said softly, heading toward the door. “Her.”

~~~~~~

The point of Kenma’s sword flashed in the darkness as he slid it through the air, efficiently disarming the man in front of him. The man’s strangled cry was silenced by another slice, and Kenma danced around his corpse, looking from one side to the other. “I think we’re clear for a minute,” he muttered, not bothering to look back at Tsukishima.

“Clear on this side,” Tsukishima said, “though the minute I start firing they’re going to know where we are.”

“We need to get inside.”

Tsukishima didn’t argue. It was obvious, really - there was no telling how many people were coming to try and break into the house. They’d already knocked out communications, which probably meant they had someone inside - maybe many someones. Kenma felt anxiety about Kuroo, Akaashi, and Bokuto well up inside him - not to mention Lev, Yaku, and all the other people he cared about who were trapped behind the blast doors.

Frustrated, he pulled out his handheld, not bothering to press any buttons. His nanites did just fine right now. Tsukishima might wonder how he was controlling things, but at the moment, Kenma had bigger things to worry about.

No connection, still. That worried him more than he wanted to admit. Still, if he was lucky -

Yes. There. 

He was thankful for the fact that over-preparation was one way he dealt with his anxiety about new spaces. He’d done research on the venue for the awards ceremony, and part of that research came in the form of a blueprint of the facility and all of its defenses. “There,” he said. “There’s a door about twenty meters ahead - it’ll be locked down like everything else, but it’s got an electronic security pad I might be able to hack so that we can get inside.”

He lifted the handheld so that Tsukishima could see the map, holding his hand to the side as blood dripped off the blade and onto the concrete. 

“Looks good,” Tsukishima said. “Think we can sneak around here? Hug the wall? That way hopefully we can avoid drawing attention to ourselves.”

Kenma nodded. It was basic protocol, but he’d never been in this situation with Tsukishima before. Never even thought about teaming up with a CoP operative - well, other than Shouyou, and that didn’t exactly count.

“I’ll lead out,” Kenma murmured. “Cover me.”

“Go.”

Luckily the man who had come after them earlier didn’t have any friends in the immediate vicinity. They were able to sneak around the edge of the alcove where they’d hidden, working their way toward the door. Kenma pressed his fingers against the damp bricks of the mansion, hating the silence. Normally he had someone with him when he went out on operations, a headset that would let him know the overall status and possible combatants in the surrounding area. Even when it was just Fukunaga manning the com, he’d still had the sound of his friend's breathing to keep him company.

Tsukishima just wasn’t the same.

Spoiled. Kuroo would probably say he was spoiled. Well, after he’d hugged him and gotten far too physical for Kenma to be comfortable with in public, saying how thankful he was that Kenma was safe, how he’d been so worried -

He was babbling in his own head. Foolish of him.

Swallowing back the ache of worry in his own heart, Kenma crept around the next outcropping in the house’s efficient design and cursed. Four people were already at the door. One was crouched next to the panel pressing the screen with another helping her, and two were standing guard. 

One of the guards yelled and lifted a gun, aiming at them. It was a kinetic gun Kenma was pretty sure. That was a good thing, most of the kinetic guns he knew about tended to be hard to aim. Indeed, the man got off a shot, but it went wide. Kenma dove to the side, trusting that Tsukishima would cover him. The other guard ran off to raise an alarm, making Tsukishima curse and fire at him. Bringing his sword up Kenma ran the last few yards toward the shooter, silent as death as he jumped and brought down the blade. 

It bounced off the metal of the man’s gun, no longer a real weapon but instead a half-hearted shield. Growling, Kenma turned, hearing a sizzle of energy and smelling burned flesh. One of the people who’d been trying to get the panel open lay on the ground, burn marks on her forehead.

The other woman was up and backing away, shouting something that Kenma didn’t even try to parse. Instead, he turned back to the man with the gun, raising his sword again as the man aimed with shaking hands.

Foolish. They were foolish, and obviously not trained combatants, at least not the caliber he was used to fighting.

He didn’t let that deter him, though. They were standing in his way, obviously the vanguard of a force that wanted to bring guns into a space full of unarmed people. Twisting his sword, Kenma sliced at the man’s arm, flipping his blade around and shoving it back along his side as he felt someone behind him. The woman fell against him with a cry, heavy and almost pulling his sword from his grasp. Stepping to the side he pulled the blade out of her body and used the momentum of the movement to slice across the gunman’s belly. 

Blood was such a messy thing. Now he was certain Kuroo would get onto him, Bokuto too probably. Because they were safe and sound and there was no chance they were hurt as long as he kept believing it.

The cut to the gunman’s neck was a mercy, really; no one enjoyed surviving a gut wound. Looking around, Kenma saw that all four of the people who’d been at the door were down. Dead, probably. None of them were moving.

Other people were, though, yelling and racing towards them. Tsukishima raised his weapon and fired, as calm as Kenma could hope for in this situation. 

“Can you get through the lock?” Tsukishima asked, picking off another attacker. 

“Yes,” Kenma said. “Just cover me.”

His heart was pounding. Soon, too soon, he knew that the drop would kick in. He really didn’t have enough endurance for this sort of mission. 

Mission. No. Emergency.

Was this what an emergency felt like?

Pondering the feeling, he dropped to his knees and pressed a hand against the door’s controls. It was foreign, old, and cranky, but it was computerized, which meant he’d be able to crack it. He pulled out his handheld with his free hand, linking into it in the hopes that he’d randomly downloaded some of the building’s security codes when he hacked into it for research earlier.

The nanites in his blood spiked and he paused, looking at the door.

There was someone on the other side.

It was the vaguest of sensations, not enough to tell him who or how many or anything other than someone of his tribe was there. Kuroo, he thought. Well maybe. It didn’t have to be him. It could be anyone, really; they could’ve snuck in some stranger who just happened to be from his tribe. It could be an enemy on the other side of the door. 

But he could hope, he could hope. 

The system rejected code after code he fed it, making him want to grit his teeth in frustration. 

“I realize you’re going as fast as you can,” Tsukishima said, “but I should probably inform you that the battery on this thing is draining faster than I’d like.”

Of course, it was.

A bolt of energy hit the bricks a couple of feet away from Kenma’s hand, leaving a scorch mark and making the corner of the brick fly off. He almost flinched. Almost, but he didn’t, he just carefully counted his breath, getting angrier and angrier at the security system that wasn’t so much effective as it was incompetently confusing. He pushed it harder and harder, wishing he could just will the damn thing to open -

Then he felt the brush of another Anakris against the tendrils he’d sent into the system. They pulled back momentarily then pushed against him before, the patterns familiar as they drew closer. Ah. Tendou. He wondered when Tendou’s presence had started to make him feel hope.

He didn’t wonder long, though, because Tendou pushed a packet of information at him, overwhelming him with data for just a moment before shoving him out of the system. Annoyed, Kenma looked around, staring at the panel in front of him. 

A corner of his mind was working through what Tendou had told him, nanites working to unfold the interlaced layers of code. Of course, Tendou would be fancy like that. One bit of information pulled his attention away from the rest. Kuroo was with him. Kuroo was -

The light on the panel turned green, and the door clicked open.


	62. The Knights Move

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to my beta [Snow](http://sondeneige.tumblr.com) ^_^
> 
> Also SORRY FOR THE LONG HAITUS i planned to finish this up last summer but life happened. One of my New Year's resolutions is to get this wrapped up though, so my next update should be much faster than this one :D Thanks for everyone who is still around.

People often assumed that Bokuto didn’t think when he fought.

They thought he was all instinct and reflect. He knew this. Knew a lot of people assumed he was a fluffhead with muscles, and explained away his victories as a combination of luck and raw power.

He didn’t mind. Well, not too much.

Not when it counted.

Step back and to the left. Avoid the pool of blood on the floor. Avoid wondering whose blood it was. Swivel to the right, wrap a hand around that wrist and pull, twist, push a thumb against that pressure point to make Jiro drop his knife and dance back when he tilts to try and punch with his free hand.

The movements were instinct on some level, but they also ran through Bokuto’s mind as words said in a voice drilled into his mind over and over until it was written deep as instinct. A woman’s voice. His sensei’s voice.

_Feet first, Bokuto-san. If you don’t have proper footing, then nothing else will matter._

Shirofuku-sensei had come to the academy when his class from the creche had turned eleven years old. She was a hero - Washio had followed her exploits in battle and spent the weeks after they’d learned she would be their teacher regaling everyone with tales about her mighty deeds. Mighty Deeds. He’d even used those words.

_You may be big, but you're not indestructible. Because you’re big, they’ll assume you’re slow. A lot of fighters as big as you choose to take the punches, but that’s a gamble you don’t need to make if you play your cards right._

Bokuto tried to always play his cards right. He shifted to the left, away from an incoming punch, hearing the woosh of air as Jiro’s fist slid by his ear.

_Watch their feet and their body more than you watch their hands. Always see the big picture. If you hyperfocus on just one part it’s easy to get distracted._

It took a few months for Bokuto to realize that it wasn’t just coincidence that Yukie and their sensei shared a last name. Took Akaashi coming to the school, actually, but Bokuto blamed that on the fact that parents were a foreign concept to him, to everyone in his class who had spent their lives as creche children. 

_The eyes too, though they’re more telling of your opponents condition than the next move they’re going to make. But their condition can help you figure out how to control the pace of the fight._

Jiro’s eyes were angry. His mouth was screwed up and open like he was yelling something that Bokuto wasn’t paying attention to. His cheeks were getting red, the confidence from a few minutes prior fading into frustration. Frustration was good. Bokuto could work with frustration.

_Wear them out, wear them down. It won’t work on everyone, but if you can find out how to provoke them, just stay out of their way and let them exhaust themselves trying to land a hit._

It worked on Washio and Komi. It never worked on Akaashi - or Yukie either, though Yukie had lost interest in hand-to-hand fighting after she’d figured out that one of her genetic donors had wanted to be with her so much she’d fought to become an instructor at the Academy. It was hard for any of them except Akaashi to understand. Shirofuku-sensei never stopped with the advice though, even when she came to class looking exhausted. After all, she knew they would be the ones out there helping protect Yukie, even if her daughter never chose to acknowledge her.

_That said, you’ll probably end up getting hit. It doesn’t have to be the end of the world though. Try to turn into it, like a tree in the wind._

Even if he turned with a punch, it still hurt like hell sometimes.

Jiro’s fist slid off Bokuto’s ribs as he twisted, glad the man didn’t have a knife in his hands any longer. A part of Bokuto was screaming at him to attack back, to show the man exactly what the _latest puppet hero of Fukurodani_ could do, but -

_Don’t waste your energy. Only strike when there’s an opening. Remember your stamina is one of your greatest weapons._

It was, and Bokuto knew it. One part of him realized that this fight was easier than it would’ve been before, even with his recent injuries. It was Kuroo, he thought. Fighting Kuroo was a challenge. Kuroo was faster than this guy, smarter than him too, and even though this guy’s punches hurt when they landed, they weren’t as hard as Kuroo’s punches.

It made Bokuto’s lips twitch.

“-- now you’re fucking laughing you asshole?” Jiro yelled, swinging wildly at Bokuto in a way that wasn’t at all effective.

It did make Bokuto realize that the man had been talking all this time.

It was probably a bad idea to let the man know that Bokuto had been distracted by thinking about his boyfriend. It just didn’t seem the thing to do. After all, the biggest hit Jiro had managed to pull was the slash he’d made to Bokuto’s forearm, ruining his suit and making him drop his knife but not accomplishing much else. 

That had been more of a mistake on Bokuto’s part than any show of skill on Jiro’s; Bokuto had let his focus slip away from the fight and had looked away to try and see how Akaashi was doing.

_Focus. Focus. Focus._

Jiro’s body telegraphed his next attempted blow and Bokuto danced back out of the way, mind ruminating on the question of whether it was ironic that both Akaashi and Kuroo had distracted him this fight. What was next, Kenma bursting onto the scene? Bokuto hoped so. He really hoped so - but -

“Argghh!!”

Stepping forward into Jiro’s wild swing, Bokuto planted a foot on the ground and brought his fist up, feeling the brush of Jiro’s uniform against the back of his fist before his knuckles slammed into the underside of the man’s chin. There was a gurgling sound, then blood burst from Jiro’s mouth as he fell back, hitting his head hard on the tile floor. 

Ah. Well.

That was probably for the best. After this was all over, they could interrogate him and find out -

A flash of black and the glint of light off metal caught his eye, and Bokuto stepped back, watching in shock as President Zuku brought a knife blade down into Jiro’s chest, yelling loudly. Again, and again, and again. Blood sprayed everywhere, joining the pools of red already on the floor. 

Bokuto didn’t have any problem admitting that he didn’t really care, even if his executive was acting like a bit of a psychopath at the moment. It wasn’t that far off from how the man normally acted, and he had more important things to worry about anyhow.

Like kicking the ass of every rebel that stood between him and his boyfriends.  
~~~~~~

Kuroo was rocking on the balls of his feet, narrowing his eyes at the woman in front of him. “And what name would that be?”

Giving him a smile that in other circumstances might be charming, she said, “It’s Mika, darling. Get it right this time, would you? All the times you forget are so, well, tiresome.”

Mika. Kuroo tried not to visibly react to that name and the flood of memories that it brought to the surface.

“Oh, I see you remember the name? That’s good to know. I had hoped I’d get to meet the man that orchestrated the events that led to my little sister’s death. Or what, didn’t you know that actions have consequences?”

“What?” Kuroo asked, dancing back as she tried to take advantage of his shock. Mika - Mika-chan - had been Daishou’s fiancée at one point, he remembered - a rich socialite whose father had tried setting himself up as the ruler of a planet. As part of his revenge on Daishou, Kuroo had helped the planet’s rebels with a bit of critical information and some credit with a few of the more resourceful weapons dealers in the area. He’d wanted Daishou to feel at some of the pain he’d caused Kuroo and Nekoma - or at the very least, to disrupt his arranged marriage. 

Evidently, he had.

“Every action has consequences,” Kuroo said, seeing the righteous anger in the woman’s eyes and trying not to feel guilty in response. He shouldn’t be guilty. He knew the type of crimes Daishou was guilty of, that the woman herself was probably guilty of. If he was honest, Mika’s sister was probably not the first innocent to be counted as collateral damage due to one of his own operations. That was just one of the ugly facts of life. 

Rage crossed Mika’s face. “And I suppose those consequences are acceptable losses as long as you achieve your objective,” she spit out, mouth opening to release an eerie laugh. “Fuck, at least Daishou’s honest about the fact that he’s an utter ass who cares nothing for himself. He doesn’t try to pretty it up with fancy words.”

Swallowing back his own laugh, Kuroo narrowed his eyes and said, “We must know a very different Daishou.”

“I think I know him a bit more intimately than you do if we’re being honest here. After all, you were just some halfway decent hole he used to get his rocks off before he fucked you over for your access.”

Kuroo’s first instinct was to snap back, point out the fact that Daishou being here was at least in part because Kuroo had been more than just some hole to fuck.

But Kuroo didn’t want to be anything to Daishou. He wished he’d never met the man, never accepted his offer for a drink. Though, well - they would never have ended up here if -

None of those trains of thought would take him anywhere worthwhile, though.

A small hum from behind him brought that point home.

Mika’s gaze shifted towards Tendou. She narrowed her eyes, smile tightening as she looked back at Kuroo.

That was the only warning he got before she lunged forward, hand curling into a fist that caught the side of his shoulder as he turned away. He managed to jab his arm into her side, but it was only luck that he caught her hair as she rushed toward Tendou. Pulling roughly he threw her back toward the door, cursing as he felt fingertips slide along his red silk shirt.

Her nails, fuck, he had to be careful of her nails -

“You really are a fuck, you know that?” Mika said, pushing herself up and wiping the back of her mouth as she pushed herself up. “Well, fine then.”

This time she launched herself at him in earnest. She was fast. Her movements were choppy, turning on a dime. Vicious. Unpredictable. And always, always, there were those damn fingernails, 

It was a myth that Alephian fighters always had the upper hand in fights - even Dikastis like Kuroo. He was stronger and faster than the average human, but that didn’t make him invincible.

Still, he should be doing better than this.

Cursing himself he shifted on his feet, crouching down and pushing off to try and catch her in the chest with his shoulder. It was risky but if he could - but fuck, no, she was gone, tossing a chair to try and trip him up before running at Tendou again. 

Jumping over the chair he slammed her to the ground. A heel jabbed him in the thigh and he rolled instinctively, twisting out of the way as Mika tried to kick him in the groin. Fucking bitch. No rules in this type of fighting, he knew that. Had spent enough time on the streets in his youth to know that you did whatever you took when your opponent was bigger and stronger.

Still, he was the bigger and stronger one.

And faster too.

He rolled onto his feet and slid between her and her intended target, smirking at the curse that spilled from her lips. Her hair was all askew, the shell ripped off one ear. Her lips were bloody and one cheek had a nice bright red mark. That would be a bruise later. It was petty to care about these sorts of things, but maybe Mika was an opponent that brought out Kuroo’s petty side.

Something shifted in Mika’s eyes and she cursed, gaze snapping back to Tendou as the man hummed again. Tilting her head to the side she pursed her lips, starting to back up toward the door.

Oh no.

That wasn’t going to happen. 

Feeling victory just inches from his grasp Kuroo ran after her, swinging a punch that connected to her shoulder and made her cry out. There. That felt good. Her knee came up but he blocked it, pushing toward her stomach and pushing her to the floor. He had her, and she knew it.

He thought he might’ve seen a spark of fear in her eyes as she looked up at him. For the briefest of moments, he wondered what she’d been like before Daishou. If she’d ever been innocent. He felt fingers brushing against his cheek in what seemed like almost a plea.

Then he felt the sharp burn of nails raking down the side of his neck.

“Mother fu -”

Pain blossomed into agony and he rolled off, hands clutching the side of his neck. Wet. She’d - not deep, but -

He heard her laugh, heard Tendou shout, felt her kick him in the stomach before running off.

See. He couldn’t see. It was just black, and his fingers were cold, and pain, pain, radiating down his arms and digging into his chest like claws, making it hard to breathe -

“That fucking bitch. Stay with me, Dikastis. People are coming. I got through. Don’t you fucking - Kozume is out there, he’s fine, but if you fucking die on me he’s going to kick my ass and I’ve seen what he can do so don't you fucking -”

Kenma. Oh, no, he couldn’t die on Kenma. 

Oddly enough, though, it was Akaashi’s eyes he saw standing in front of the darkness, those narrowed green eyes telling him that he sure as fuck better hold on.

After all, they’d never gotten a dance.

Feeling vague amusement at that thought, Kuroo sucked in a breath and curled his hands into fists, willing himself to hold on past the pain.

Help was on its way.

~~~

“It was nice of you to step outside for this,” the corporal said. “Made subduing him much easier.”

“What the hell have you - I swear if you’ve hurt him -”

“Relax, relax,” the corporal said, pointing a gun between Komi and Hinata. “We’re not planning on hurting anybody. You’re all just pawns, wouldn’t be useful to kill you. We will though, if you cause any trouble - understand?”

Hesitating a moment, Hinata nodded, glancing down at his phone. Maybe if he -

“Phone on the floor, along with any weapons.”

It probably wouldn’t matter anyhow. It appeared that Fukurodani’s forces were compromised; had they gotten to Confederation forces as well? It seemed to be a rather far-reaching and complicated plot. 

Sucking in a breath, Hinata looked around the room, noting that several of the new guards were missing. It was just the corporal, the two guards holding Komi, and a guard near the door to the cells who looked no younger than fifteen. Hinata assumed that the others had gone down the hall to find the where the Nohebi agent was being held.

But he was would wager that this was about more than just a prison break for some off-world mercenaries. At least, Hinata suspected that was the big picture - though it certainly appeared to be the aim of these men. He wondered if they were native or off-world.

“So you’re here to help an agent of the men who poisoned our children, is that it?” Hinata asked, carefully placing his phone on the ground as he watched the reaction of the men in the room. 

Ah, there, that one. 

“Shut up!” yelled one of the men holding Komi yelled. “You’re the one working with these bastards. You’ve no right to -”

“I work for the Confederation of Planets, at the pleasure of the queen,” Hinata replied, feeling a sudden chill. The queen - he’d heard from Kageyama earlier that she’d been at the ceremony, but had left shortly thereafter. Surely they would have escorted her away from there as soon as possible. Her location was one of the most highly guarded secrets on the planet, after all, especially after all the successful assassination attempts on her family over the last few decades. Plus if the queen was there -

“You ignorant bastard, Nohebi is the one helping us rescue her from -”

“Could you please be at least a little less than an idiot?” yelled the corporal, turning his attention from Hinata for just one second.

One second was all it took.

Lunging forward Hinata turned into the corporal’s body and pushed up with one hand, elbowing him hard with his free arm. The gun went off but he was able to wrest it from the man’s hand, twisting and placing his back to the wall as he pointed the gun at the men still holding Komi captive. “I assure you, she’s in no need of rescuing,” Hinata growled. At least, he hoped not. “Especially from the likes of off-world scum who don’t care about anything but a paycheck.”

“But they’re -”

Evidently, Komi had decided that the man needed to be shut up, because he let his weight drop in his captors' arms, then pushing off the ground and surging upward as the two of them fumbled with the sudden dead weight. The one who hadn’t said a word stepped back, dazed, as Komi laid the other one out with a punch and sprang toward Hinata, turning to glare at the men attempting the rescue.

The echo of Tsukishima’s iconic _pathetic_ echoed in Hinata’s mind. They could do this. He could hold them. They probably weren’t bad guys, really, just misguided - he could have them arrested under a CoP warrant and maybe they’d even be able to avoid a sentence in the mines. 

Stepping forward, Hinata asked, “Are you really sure you want to risk your lives for this?”

He hated the thought of more Alephians dying in a misguided attempt to start an unwinnable war. But maybe -

“I think the real question,” said a voice from the doorway into the hall, “is whether you’re willing to risk his life for this.”

Next to him, Komi made a strangled gasp. “Yama -”

Hinata turned, sucking in a breath as he saw the man standing in the doorway. He was tall, with dark hair that fell to either side of decidedly serpentine eyes. He held a half-unconscious Sarukui around the chest with one arm, the other pressing a thin black knife against his throat.

Evidence of the blade’s sharpness came in the form of a bloody gash across one side of Sarukui’s forehead, covering half his face with blood.

“You’re Hiroo, aren’t you,” Hinata said, all hopes of an easy resolution fading away.

“I am,” Hiroo replied, inclining his head, lips tightening into the ghost of a smile. “And I would like to correct your impression that Nohebi cares about nothing but a paycheck.”

“Good thing, too,” said a voice from the other side of the room. “I was getting tired of waiting here.”

It was Sakijima, the Nohebi prisoner. Of course it was. He looked rather the worse for wear and was being held up by two of the false guards. 

Suddenly the pistol in Hinata’s hands didn’t seem to be much of an advantage, especially when one of the men supporting Sakijima pulled out a gun of his own.

“I’m not sure how you want to play this,” Hiroo said, sounding almost bored, “but I’m willing to wager that one possible outcome is two dead Fukurodani agents and one dead Copper left carved up on the floor here before we leave. Now, you might take out one or two of us, but I guarantee you that this one here - Yama, is it? - will be feeling the consequences of every shot before he finally bleeds out.”

Komi was sucking in a deep breath at that, clearly caught somewhere between fear and anger. It was one of the dangers of being on watch with someone you loved. Hinata sympathized with him, but it probably meant that he couldn’t be counted on to think clearly if things came down to a fight.

Feeling disappointment curdle in his stomach, Hinata asked, “What’s another possible outcome that you envision for this little encounter?”

Hiroo met his eyes clearly, studying him for a moment before giving him a slight nod. “Well, in part that’s up to our esteemed partner in this venture,” he said, giving a nod to the man dressed in the colonel’s uniform, “but seeing as how all three of you are merely doing your jobs, and it appears that you are loyal to your queen, perhaps we could instead leave the three of you locked in a cell? No profit in angering the Confederation with the death of one of their agents, after all.”

“What?” the corporal asked, standing up and rubbing his jaw. “But they’ve seen our -”

“Surely you don’t mind that someone can identify you as loyal agents of your queen,” Sakijima asked, a wicked smile on his face.

“Eh? No, no, of course not -”

“After all, people are going to hail you as heroes, right? True founders of the rebellion,” purred Hiroo.

Hinata was under no illusions that the two Nohebi members were doing this because they actually cared about saving his life, or that of Sarukui or Komi. He could see in Hiroo’s eyes the knowledge that another very realistic outcome of this situation ended up with either Sakijima or himself dead if things did fall apart into violence.

Still, Hinata was no fool. Hiroo’s prediction of their deaths was more than probable if things went south, and Hinata had no illusions about their overall chance of success without some sort of backup.

“Well,” the corporal said, rubbing the back of his head, “if you truly think it’s the best idea -”

“We do,” Hiroo said, that same ghost of a smile quirking his lips again. “In fact, I don't even think we need them to give back the gun. Just so they can be certain we won’t renege on the deal.”

It was a paltry offering, but it was probably the best they could get.

Hinata nodded.

“Here,” Hiroo said, pulling back the knife and shoving Sarukui forward.

Crying out, Komi rushed forward, catching him before he could hit the floor. “If he’s -”

“He’ll be fine. Let’s get the three of you into a cell, yes?”

Fighting down a sense of shame, Hinata nodded, moving to help Komi carry Sarukui out of the room and down towards a cell. As much as it rankled, he knew this was the best course of action in the given circumstances. This way, the three of them would come out alive.

After all, not all battles could be won, and it was better to survive than to die.

Only by surviving could you hope to win the next battle.

Hinata just hoped that the next time he saw these men, the odds would be stacked in a much different fashion.


	63. Queen's Gambit

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to my beta [Snow](http://sondeneige.tumblr.com) ^_^
> 
> Also thanks to my OPS peeps for the support and help with descriptions, and to Kiwi for pointing out a section of dialogue that was far too difficult. I am blessed.
> 
> Also, with this chapter Chasing Truth officially passes the 200k mark, so THANKS TO YOU READERS who have stuck by me this long :D you are amazing, and a huge reason why I'm motivated to finish this.

One thing about Ryukyu, she definitely knew how to fight. Akaashi was thankful for this fact because the brief lull in violence they’d had when first picking her up had faded fast. Akaashi found himself back to back with the woman, watching blood fly through the air following the slash of her knifepoint.

He was leaving a trail of gore behind himself, having picked up what he was fairly sure had been an aluminum table leg before the attack. It had seen a fair bit of use before he wrenched it out of one of his opponent’s hands, its decorative channels already caked with bits of blood, hair, and other material he didn’t want to think too long on. It wasn’t a bad weapon though, Akaashi thought, if forced to choose. Light and sturdy but long enough to keep a good distance between himself and his opponents - it would do.

Akaashi swung it at the head of an oncoming attacker, sweeping them out of his way. The resulting crunch told him he wouldn’t have to worry about them anymore, so he chanced a glance over at Bokuto.

Golden eyes met his own, calm in the midst of the storm. In just that glance, Akaashi knew he was alright. Knew he’d won against that oversized attacker that had gone at him earlier. For a moment his heart warmed. That moment was cut short when Bokuto’s eyes widened in alarm.

Turning, Akaashi spotted the group of six who were bearing down on Matsukawa beside him. Matsukawa was already engaged, trading blows with a woman armed with a pair of metal bars. Looking around, Akaashi saw that Ryukyu’s guard - Aki, he thought he’d heard Ryukyu call her that - was being supported by Daichi. Sugawara stood at his back and Hanamaki had taken the side next to Ryukyu herself. Hanamaki’s face was covered with a fierce grin as he held his own against a short but fierce pair of twins.

Sugawara seemed almost gleeful himself, smashing his chair leg down on the back of a man and then kicking him away. It wasn’t that surprising to Akaashi. He knew that the streets of the capital could be brutal if you were a kid growing up, and he’d heard rumors about the crows’ ferocity when defending their turf.

Akaashi was grateful for that fierceness now.

Turning back Akaashi dropped down, swinging his impromptu bat at the knees of the first in the group to reach them. The woman shouted out and went down, stabbing her knife into the floor as she fell, narrowly missing his boot. He kicked her hard to make sure she’d stay down, then pushed up, driving the table leg up toward the body of the next attacker.

It struck a glancing blow, enough to daze the man but not enough to get him to back off. Akaashi looked up into a face contorted with rage. A thick meaty hand wrapped itself around the end of his weapon and Akaashi cursed, trying to push the man off. Instead, he felt the man shove the end of the table leg back at him, catching his shoulder. It wasn’t a bad blow but it was enough to leave him open, especially as the man yanked the table leg back, pulling Akaashi forward as one of his companions raised a cudgel of his own -

Then the man dropped like a stone, quickly followed by his companion.

Gasping, Akaashi pulled his weapon of choice away from the fallen man and looked up into the imposing face of Ushijima Wakatoshi.

“I apologize if you feel my assistance was not necessary,” Ushijima said, “but I feel it’s more expedient to dispatch these insurgents as quickly as possible so that we might minimize the damage they are causing.”

“True,” Akaashi said, still reeling.

“That said, you appear to be quite a formidable opponent. I appreciate the fact that we are on the same side tonight.”

Same side?

“Emi!” Ryukyu gasped, pushing past Akaashi and going to the woman with long silver hair that stood next to Ushijima. She reached out her hand, then pulled back when she saw the blood on it, standing straight and giving a short nod. “It is good you were not harmed.”

Nodding at her sister, the woman who Akaashi assumed was Ryukyu Emiko said, “The Shiratorizawa offered their assistance earlier, and have lived up to their formidable reputation.”

Ushijima nodded as if accepting her statement as simple fact. “The Fukurodani forces were able to contact Ryukyu-sama a couple of minutes ago to tell her that communications had been restored and they were working to clear out the rebels who have surrounded the mansion and who have been attempting to get inside. They should have the situation contained shortly. Still, I do believe we should join your companion. He appears to be, ah - waving at you?”

Akaashi glanced over, feeling an irrational burst of affection for Bokuto. He was indeed waving a hand in the air. Then he turned, clasping his hands together and ducking to drive an elbow up into the chest of an oncoming attacker, sending them flying through the air. Behind Bokuto, Akaashi saw Kunimi standing guard over what Akaashi hoped were only the unconscious bodies of Kindaichi and Kageyama.

They were only a few meters away. Akaashi wasn’t sure when they’d gotten this close.

Still, it wasn’t close enough.

Giving Ushijima a nod Akaashi rushed forward to close the gap, swinging at the legs of a man who was trying to sneak up on Bokuto while he was engaged with a woman on the other side.

“Akaaashi!” Bokuto yelled, turning around and engulfing him in his arms.

Akaashi didn’t care that Bokuto’s hands were probably bloody as they carded through his hair. He didn’t care about the fact that they were both covered in grime and dust and that his shoulder ached as Bokuto squeezed him close. He didn’t care that they’d probably been in a thousand fights before this one.

He cared that Bokuto was safe.

Bokuto pulled back, smiling down at him. “Sorry I don’t have your champagne,” he said.

“What?” Akaashi said, trying to remember - ah, yes. Back before the fight maybe? “That’s fine.”

Laughing, Bokuto pushed Akaashi’s hair out of his eyes. “I’m so glad you’re safe,” he whispered.

Akaashi was sure he’d never get over this moment, no matter how many fights they got themselves into. He hated - hated, hated - those long stretches of fear when Bokuto was in danger and he wasn’t there to help watch his back, but when they finally came back to each other it was like he could breathe again.

Oh, he loved him, loved him so much.

Bokuto’s heart shone in his eyes as he looked down at Akaashi, confident and warm. Then the moment was broken by a small furrow in between those shining eyes.

“Ah - oh - have you heard anything from Kenma or Kuroo? I haven’t seen them since this started -”

“No,” Akaashi replied, feeling his mood drop as worry suddenly had the space to rush through him. He turned, looking around the room, trying to catch a glimpse of his other two lovers in amongst the knots of fighters on the edges of the room. “No, I haven’t seen them at all.”

“It’ll be ok,” said Bokuto, patting his back. “We just got separated, that’s all! They know how to take care of themselves in a fight, they’ll be fine.”

True. It was true. He’d seen them both fight, knew that both of them were probably more used to combat than either Bokuto or himself. But still -

Anxiety burrowed its way into his stomach, curling around and making a home for himself as the adrenaline of the fight started to ebb.

But still.

In a battle like this, anything could happen.

But Bokuto was probably right. They were probably fine.

But still, he worried.

~~~~~~~

Oikawa’s arms ached from carrying the front end of Iwaizumi’s stretcher as he followed Shirabu down a back corridor. He could hear echoes of fighting from far away. Smell the smoke from explosions. Luckily, however, the halls they’d traveled had been deserted.

“Stay here a moment,” Shirabu murmured, knocking at a door.

Someone pulled the door open a crack and started talking to him. Oikawa turned and looked at Iwaizumi, willing himself to keep it together. Iwaizumi looked horrible. He was breathing, but his skin was pale and Oikawa hated the sight of the blood seeping through the clothes on his back.

“They’ll take good care of him,” Semi murmured.

Wanting to glare at him, Oikawa bit his lip and nodded. “Thank you,” he managed, turning back around.

Shirabu had slipped inside the door, shutting it behind himself. It was only a moment before it was opened again though, Shirabu peeking out and waving them inside. “Hurry.”

It made Oikawa want to snap at him as well. He was the one who had made them wait in the hall - well, that probably wasn’t fair.

Then again, not much was fair at the moment. He felt all alone, forced to rely on the kindness of strangers. He didn’t even know what was going on with the rest of his people - were Makki and Mattsun ok? What about Kindaichi and Kunimi? At least Yahaba, Watari, and Kyoutani were still out wrapping things up in the country. After this Yahaba would probably stop sulking about the fact that he didn’t get to go to the fancy party.

Maybe.

He’d always liked the opportunity to kick some ass.

Still, Oikawa was shaky enough to be glad he didn’t have to worry about more of his people being dead or alive - or injured and possibly bleeding out behind him like -

A shock of red hair pulled him away from such dark thoughts. “Nacchan?” he asked, dumbfounded. “Er - Hin ata-sa n?”

“Tooru!”

It had been years since Oikawa had seen Hinata Natsu. He’d heard that Kiyoko had helped her get some scholarship to an off-world university. Iwaizumi said she was doing well, but Oikawa felt almost ashamed to say that he hadn’t really paid attention to what was going on with Hinata’s baby sister.

Evidently, a lot.

She was dressed in a mint-green shift dress, long auburn curls held back with a matching headband. Giving him a kind smile, she hurried toward him, tilting her head to the side. “Shirabu-san said that you had - ah! Hajime! Here, bring him in here, we have a bed and I’ll be able to check him over. Rin, can you heat up some water? Oh, I wish I had access to one of those portable medbays, but maybe someone will be bringing one soon. It sounds like everything out there is awful.”

“You can’t go help until everyone is secure,” scolded a tall man near her, running hands through curly brown hair as a shorter black-haired man rushed toward what Oikawa assumed was a bathroom.

“I know, Oga-kun - but -” Natsu said, shaking her head. “At least I’m here to help Hajime now.”

Oikawa vaguely recognized the two men as possibly being some of the kids that had hung around with Hinata back during high school. He’d been pretty popular back then. Hadn’t been much taller than the brats either.

“Are you - do you know something about medicine?” Oikawa asked, helping carry Iwaizumi to the bed so that they could transfer him over.

The man Natsu had called Oga-kun laughed. “Know something? She’s a top-flight surgeon, that’s what she is. One of the best there is on Aoba, apart from those owned by Fukurodani.”

“Now -” Natsu protested.

“I know, I know. Time, place, occasion.”

“Are you with the rebels?” Oikawa blurted out, caught between fascination at the transformation Natsu had undergone and fear that Shirabu had led them straight into the den of their enemies.

A dry laugh from behind him had Oikawa turning to frown at Shirabu.

“They’re anything but rebels,” Shirabu said, shaking his head. “Come on, she’s waiting for you.”

“She?” Oikawa asked, turning to look at Natsu again. “But - I thought -”

Brown eyes warm, Natsu said, “Don’t worry, Oikawa-kun. I’ll do my best to make sure he’s alright. Kenjirou is right, though, you shouldn’t keep her waiting too long. It’s a bit impolite.”

Feeling bemused at the fact that Natsu evidently was on a first-name basis with a Shiratorizawa bounty hunter, Oikawa gave Iwaizumi one last look before turning and following Shirabu through a seco nd do or.

Where he promptly had to keep himself from immediately falling to his knees.

“Aomori-sama,” he said instead, giving a deep bow. “Pardon me, I didn’t -”

A crystal-clear laugh rang out from the girl in front of him, and he dared to look up. “Oh, it’s alright,” she said, giving him an impish grin. “No need to be so formal.”

“Heika,” chided a man seated next to her.

“He’s been through enough, Yama. Besides, I think he’s proven that he’s one of our loyal subjects, yes? And he looks rather too overwhelmed. If we’re offering sanctuary, we should offer it with kindness and comfort.”

The man huffed and looked away, motioning to someone near the edge of the room.

They hurried forward and pushed a chair closer to where the two of them were sitting, waving at Oikawa to take a seat. Shirabu sat down in a chair nearby, resting his hands on his knees.

It felt strange to be in the presence of royalty.

His royalty.

Aomori Sadako, the queen of Aoba, waved a hand toward the small table between the four of them. “Would you like something to eat or drink? This is just a light tea, but we can bring something more substantial if you like. My cousin tells me you’ve been through quite the ordeal.”

“Cousin?” Oikawa asked, watching as she poured out cups of tea for each of them.

Shirabu shifted in his seat. “It’s not something we publicise,” he muttered, looking to the side.

Huh.

“At the moment,” Aomori said, “It’s handier to - how do you put it, Yama? - keep some cards close to the chest.”

“Vest, Heika.”

“Ah, yes. I don’t think I’ve ever worn a vest before.”

Yama huffed, running a hand through thinning hair. “It is merely a saying, Your Majesty. Though if you desire to wear such a garment, I’m fairly certain that one can be procure d for yo u.”

“Perhaps,” she said, tilting her head to the side and giving her lips a tap.

For a moment, Oikawa was worried that his sovereign might be a bit of a vapid teenager. She had seemed a bit nervous when giving him the award before, though he’d been overwhelmed by her mere presence and hadn’t worried about it. She was young, after all, only thirteen or so -

Then her gaze shifted, sharpening as she watched his face, and his impression changed completely.

“I like clothes sometimes,” she said, waving her fingers in the air. “Costuming is useful, don’t you think, Oikawa-san? You strike me as a man who knows the value of a good outfit.”

Nodding carefully, he said, “I attempt to, Your Majesty.”

“I have been taught,” she continued, “that it is important to use all available resources in order to manage and build power. Clothes, for one; manipulating one’s appearance is critical, especially when one is temporarily the weaker party in a relationship. Gathering loyal people is essential as well, I believe. I would not have survived past my fifth year if it wasn’t for Yamazaki, for instance. Kenjirou, too, has been a loyal ally over the past few years, keeping us apprised of all sorts of important details about the political situation amongst the Confederation of Planets. Then, of course, you know Shimizu-san and the others that work with her. She was even kind enough to help provide me with a most excellent physician - though Natsu-chan’s importance has gone beyond that of a mere doctor, of course.”

“I see,” said Oikawa, though in truth it was all taking a bit to process. “So you - Kiyoko and the others are helping you even though they’re coppers -”

“Not even though,” said Aomori. “Their jobs are wholly legitimate, not some cover. Well, I suppose there are those that assume that their pledge to me is merely a formality and that the confederation holds their true loyalty.”

“That - ah. That has been an assumption I’ve heard, yes,” Oikawa admitted.

“It reflects a false assumption. After all, I am a member of the Confederation of Planets. I am not a mere figurehead. When the time comes, I will take my place as the true ruler of Aoba, and Fukurodani will have to step aside and accept the fact that they will only have a presence here if it is my pleasure to grant them one.”

Oh. Oh, the steel in her voice - the unwavering confidence - it was nothing like the girl who’d stood in front of the crowd earlier that evening, trembling as she slipped a medal around his neck. No, this was the voice of a girl who would turn into a woman who could rule.

Would rule.

Lips tightening into the echo of a smile, she said, “Unfortunately, that time has no t yet com e.”

Nodding, Oikawa considered. “I doubt they want to give up power that easily.”

“They will, actually. Wouldn’t want to risk the consequences of resistance.”

“They seem to be pretty adamant about holding their power from where I’m sitting, Your Majesty. You probably only have to ask the rebels about that.”

“Ah yes,” Aomori said, wrinkling her nose. “The rebels. They don’t understand - well - they don’t understand much of anything beyond what they see in front of them, I think. Still, they are my people as well, and I am their queen.”

“A fact that some of them would probably like to change,” Shirabu grumbled.

“Which,” Yamazaki said, “is one of the reasons for patience.”

Aomori nodded, taking a sip of her tea. “Moving before I have consolidated enough power would lead to a very short-lived reign, I believe. We still haven’t isolated the players that were behind the assassination of my parents, and there are forces at play in the Confederation of Planets who would like nothing more than to swoop down and seize true control of the planet. I realize that Fukurodani’s presence here is a great burden on my people, but it is a manageable one.”

Manageable. Oikawa thought about Takeru and the others, about the people living in the slums and starving in the countryside. Manageable wasn’t a word he would use.

But patience. He knew about patience, even if he also hated it.

Aomori seemed to sense his concern because she said, “I am not trying to minimize the damage here, Oikawa-san. I understand that many of the rebels out there are fighting because they are desperate, and that they have experienced things I have never had to deal with. But I also know it could be much worse. I know that if we make an abortive attempt at independence before we are ready it will be much worse. However, I know that the way things are underscores the urgency of gathering our resources. When we do make our play - using politics, within the framework of the CoP constitution - we will be able to hold onto the independence we gain. We need strength to withstand the forces that would like nothing more than to latch onto us like a juicy meal.”

Oikawa stared at her. It was -

It was a lot to take in. He glanced at Yamazaki, fairly sure at least some of this was the result of his coaching.

Still, what she had to say made sense, as long as she was actively working to gather support and not just waiting.

“It’s a long game,” Shirabu said. “And a delicate one, at the moment.”

“It’s one we have to win this time,” Yamazaki said, some ancient grief in his eyes. Oikawa wondered at the history there.

“If you really could do this peacefully, though,” Oikawa said, “make Aoba an independent system again, make us more than just resources for the Fukurodani corporation -“

“We,” said Aomori.

“What?”

“I’d like it to be we.”

Oikawa frowned. “Ah, I don’t know if you know, Your Majesty, but we are about to go into exile -“

“On a Fukurodani ship, yes I know. And I know they will probably use you in an unofficial capacity from time to time and expect you to be available to them when needed. But honestly? That’s exactly what I need you to do.”

“Excuse me, Your Majesty??”

“Be my eyes and ears. Build relationships, real relationships, with other members of the confederation. I have other people helping to make sure things here on Aoba 5 will be ready for a transition of power, but we are only one system in the confederation. Without allies, we will be easy pickings. I need you to help us develop those alliances.”

It was a tall order - and yet, it appealed to Oikawa. He knew from his time on the street and in business how to cultivate friendships in all the right places.

None of it had made a difference when it mattered, when Takeru was lying in the hospital. Not his connections, not his looks, not his skills or knowledge - none of it.

Now though, maybe - maybe he could put them to good use. Actually accomplish something of lasting value for his people.

“I will serve you, Your Majesty,” Oikawa said, bowing his head. “Seijou will serve you.”

Aomori let out a breath. “Thank you,” she said.

She was smiling when Oikawa looked up at her, something warm and hopeful and innocent enough to remind him that she was barely thirteen.

Then her gaze shifted behind him, and he turned and saw Natsu in the doorway, pulling off rubber gloves. She looked tired, like it had been more than just a few minutes that they’d been apart.

He saw a splatter of blood on her dress, dark against the mint green fabric. It made him afraid to ask the question that hovered at the front of his mouth.

“We stabilized him,” Natsu said, not quite meeting his eyes. “I think, at least.”

“Is he ok?” asked Oikawa, wanting to jump to his feet until he remembered the company he was keeping. “I mean - can I talk to him? Is he awake?”

Natsu shook her head, glancing up at him and then away. “No, not - there was - well, some debris from the explosion was caught in his back; when we extracted it, well - we were able to control the bleeding. His head was hit pretty hard too.”

“Head?” Oikawa echoed, feeling cold. “Is he - Nacchan - will he be -”

“He’s stable,” said Natsu, leaning against the doorjamb and finally giving him a weary smile. “We’ll know more in a few hours, and it would be really helpful to have one of the more advanced scanners and a medpod so that we can monitor everything, but we’ve done what we can for now.”

“As soon as the fighting clears, we will get whatever you need,” Aomori said. “Whatever is in my power, Oikawa-san. We will do whatever we can to see your friend safe.”

Friend. The word pierced him. He’d only had a few moments of time when they’d gone beyond mere friendship, and now it seemed he was in danger of losing Iwaizumi for good.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” he whispered anyhow, forcing himself to remember his manners. He was lucky, very lucky that he’d been led here to Aomori. After all, she was his queen, and was one of the few native Aobian people who had the ability to dedicate resources to help Iwaizumi survive his injuries.

He only hoped those resources would be enough.

~~~

Kenma pushed the door open, raising his sword in case he met with an enemy. Another sword met his own and he snarled, pulling back -

Then he saw the face of the other man holding the sword and smiled. “Yaku,” he said.

“Let's get inside before you have a heartfelt reunion, if you don't mind,” said Tsukishima, pressing back to back against Kenma.

Eyes opening wide, Yaku stepped back and let them through, quickly closing the door behind them. “I didn’t know - we knew someone was trying to hack the door because it kept beeping, but -”

“We took them out,” Kenma said, looking around. They were in an empty hall with a closed door visible to the right. Down the corridor, he saw Lev talking to two other men. They looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t quite place them.

“Nice work,” said Yaku, eyeing him critically. “All that theirs?”

“Yes -”

Turning, Lev spotted him, green eyes open wide as he opened his mouth to yell out, “Kenma! You’re alive!”

Kenma ignored Tsukishima’s huff of laughter as he stepped back to avoid the oncoming hug Lev wanted to attack him with, only barely managing to remind himself that holding up his sword to let Lev skewer himself on it would probably be bad form. “I am,” he said instead, thankful that Yaku elbowed Lev in the stomach to stop his forward movement.

“Friends of yours, I take it?” asked one of the two strange men. He was tall, with fluffy auburn hair that was a pale echo of Shouyou’s red.

The other man was shorter, with dark spiky hair. He was giving the Tsukishima and Kenma an appraising look. Something about him was disconcerting, maybe the look in his eyes, maybe the eyes themselves - ah.

“Kenma, this is Kawanishi and Yamagata, they’re from the Shiratorizawa group,” Yaku said. “We were talking in a side room when the attack happened. Kawanishi has a cousin in the Dynami tribe, and Yamagata is -”

“Katy,” interrupted Kenma, trying to quiet the mild perturbation that he always felt in the presence of Kingdomtide bloodline members.

Yamagata grinned. “Guilty as charged!” he said. “You’re Dikastis, right? Like Yaku and Lev here?”

Nodding, Kenma said, “We grew up together,” before turning to Tsukishima. “Ah, and this is Tsukishima. He’s a Confederation of Planets operative.”

“Nice gun,” said Kawanishi. “Didn’t know they let you bring those here. It should be a big help.”

“It’s almost out of charge,” Tsukishima replied, glancing back to the door behind them. “That’s not going to open for them, is it?”

Kenma turned, examining the keypad. “I - no, I doubt it,” he said. “Its locked now, and Tendou has control of the house’s systems - ah - Kuroo -”

“Tendou?” Yamagata asked, eyes brightening. “Man, that guy always has his fingers in all kinds of pies.”

“Yeah,” said Kenma. “He’s up in the control room with Kuro.”

Kuroo, who Tendou had said was fighting with someone who seemed like a true threat. Kenma didn’t want to think about what Tendou meant by that. He curled his free hand into a fist, staring down at the blood spattered red on the back of his fingers and trying to ignore the fact that it was shaking.

“Are you ok, Kenma?” asked Lev, an unwelcome note of concern in his voice.

“He’s fine, Lev,” Yaku murmured.

When Kenma looked up at him in thanks, he saw a question in Yaku’s eyes asking if his statement had been true. Nodding in response, Kenma said, “We need to get to them. If we know they’ve taken the control room over, the enemy forces may know as well. I know the most direct route.”

Sighing, Kawanishi said, “Well, I suppose it’s time to get our hands dirty. And here we were, having such a nice relaxing evening.”

“Let’s go,” Kenma said, laying out the blueprint of the house in his mind before considering the other members of their group. “Yaku and I should take point since we’re armed. I doubt that anyone else has ranged weapons, and apart from Lev we will have the fastest reflexes. Tsukishima, you bring up the rear and pick off anyone who tries to come after us. You three - well - I’m sure you know what to do.”

It was disturbing how similar Yamagata and Lev’s grins were at that statement.

Kawanishi just nodded, gaze sharpening. “We’ll improvise however we have to.”

“Alright then.”

Kenma took off down the hall, away from the ballroom. He kept the map at the forefront of his mind as they took a door into a stairwell, surprising a small group of the enemy coming up the stairs. One man yelled and raced up toward Kenma, knife in a raised hand - like it was supposed to be scary or something. Kenma disemboweled him, angling his sword toward the left and away from where Yaku was striking out at the woman in front of him.

The woman stepped back and twisted, her sudden motion throwing Yaku off-balance. He sidestepped into a spray of blood from Kenma’s opponent and slipped toward the woman and her outstretched knife.

“Yaku!” Lev yelled, hurling himself forward.

Kenma raised his sword, but Lev was quicker. He grabbed her arm, pulling her between Kenma and Yaku. Then Yaku was there, sword slashing down to cut off her head and arm. Simple and quick and that was that - but as Kenma looked at Yaku, he saw that his friend’s face was a bit pale. Swords weren’t nearly as effective when opponents got as close as that woman had managed to get.

But it was done.

Looking down, Kenma saw the last member of the enemy trio running away down the stairs.

“Let him go?” Kawanishi asked.

“It’s not like we don’t know the mansion is crawling with people who want to kill -”

A shot rang out, and the man jerked, falling the rest of the way down the stairs. Trying not to glare, Kenma looked over at Tsukishima.

“The fewer people who know where we are, the better. You know that,” Tsukishima said.

Kenma did know that. He was just in a hurry to get to Kuroo and didn’t want to get sidetracked tying up loose ends. Well, that, and battle fatigue was starting to creep up on him, especially after the social stress of the event earlier in the evening.

It was probably a good thing Tsukishima was there to keep things on track.

Kenma started up the flight of stairs to the second story, glancing over at Yaku to see if he was favoring his ankle.

Yaku just gave him a glare, shrugging off Lev’s arm but holding onto the railing. It was hard for Kenma to think of Yaku as someone who was recovering from an injury; all his life Yaku had been one of the most stalwart fighters of their team.

But he supposed they’d all changed in the last few months.

“They’re on the second story,” Kenma murmured, thankful the room wasn’t higher. He just wanted to get to the control room. Get to Kuroo. Make sure Kuroo was alright - he had to be alright. It was impossible to think that Kuroo would fall to anyone here.

Then again, the impossible had happened before.

There was the loud clatter of feet on the stairs above them and Kenma rushed to get to the landing, wanting to be on stable ground before facing their next opponents. He saw Lev out of the corner of his eye and looked back to see that Yaku had fallen behind.

Trusting that Lev knew what he was doing, Kenma sliced at the legs of the first man, moving out of the way as one of the rebels jumped down the last two steps toward him. Turning, he saw Kawanishi reach out and grab the woman’s hair before twisting her neck and throwing her to the ground. Lev was pushing a knife up into a third attacker’s ribcage. They were falling like chess pieces, like the pawns they were. Kenma barely had time to draw a breath before Yamagata was rushing up the stairs and bowling into a blonde woman, tossing her back down toward the landing before moving onto a man who was trying to run away.

Yaku had raised his sword to finish the blonde woman off when -

“Umi?” Tsukishima gasped.

Glaring up at him, the woman said, “Murderers. Monsters. You all deserve to -”

Sword flashing, Yaku sliced down. The woman’s hand dropped to the landing floor, fingers twitching. A round ball rolled out of her hand, safety pin still in place.

They were all silent for a moment, then Kenma looked up at Tsukishima. “I hope she wasn’t a friend of yours,” he finally said.

“She came to the bar sometimes,” Tsukishima replied, meeting his gaze before looking over at the other bodies. “I knew her sister had been killed in an industrial accident last year, but I never would have thought -”

“Don’t think about it too much,” Yamagata said, patting Tsukishima on the shoulder. “Nothing you could have done. This is just the way things are.”

Unfortunately, Kenma knew he was right.

Turning his back on the carnage, Kenma pushed open the door, peering out into an empty corridor. “It’s just down here,” he said.

Just a few meters away.

Thankfully, there were no more black-clad troops coming their way. Kenma rushed to the door of the control room, banging on it before scrambling to make contact with the control panel. Inside. Kuroo was inside. He had to get -

The door slid open, revealing a haggard-looking Tendou.

“Kozume-san,” Tendou said. “He’s -”

Pale. Lying on the ground, lips blue. Unconscious. Kuroo had to be unconscious, he couldn’t be - there was no way he was -

“- Poison,” Tendou was saying, using words that Kenma could barely process as he rushed forward. “Research - not -”

Kuroo’s chest was moving. He was still alive.

“- listening? It’s not life-threatening, think he just -”

He wouldn’t wake up. Kuroo wouldn’t wake up. There were ugly black scratches down the side of his neck, red and puffy at the edges. He was breathing, though, and his heartbeat was steady.

A hand dropped onto his shoulder, and Kenma looked up.

“He’ll be alright,” Yaku said, looking down at him.

Tendou nodded when Kenma turned to him. “The woman he fought - she had poison on her nails. I think his - his body just - I think he just passed out from the pain, but it should just be temporary. I don’t think he’s in any danger.”

The redhead was glancing over at his teammates as he spoke, and Kenma read between the lines.

Nanites. The nanites had shut Kuroo’s body down so they could deal with the issue before it became critical.

“Nohebi,” Kenma whispered, tracing the lines on Kuroo’s neck. He was so tired of poison. Tired of Kuroo being in danger, tired of all of this. But mainly, right now, he was just tired.

Biting his lips together, Kenma brushed Kuroo’s hair back from his face, hoping it wouldn’t take long before the poison was expelled from his system so he could see his lover’s golden eyes once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting close to the end! I'm expecting about four more chapters after this (67 in total). I hope you're still enjoying the story! Comments and kudos are amazing!

**Author's Note:**

> Ok, so, in case it isn't clear - Alephians are basically a race of augmented humans. There are different tribes, each with a different focus (like Justice) and augmentations specific to helping them achieve that focus. Some Alephians aren't bonded to a tribe, and only have generic augments to things like looks/health/etc. There'll be more information coming up, but let me know if you have any specific questions or if I was unclear.
> 
> In terms of the overall universe -  
> Aleph is a planet under the auspices of Kingdomtide (KT for short) which is one of the three major galactic empires. The Fukurodani Corporation and Aoba 5 belong to the Confederation of Planets, one of the other major galactic empires. 
> 
> Slang:  
> Copper - person who works for the Confederation of Planets  
> Data-freak - Alephian of the Inquiry tribe  
> Katy - Kingdomtide Military
> 
> FANART:  
>  \- The amazing [@bugbearz](http://bugbearz.tumblr.com/) commissioned [this Kenma](http://shaerahaek.tumblr.com/post/155312920941/commission-a-gift-to-kaiyouchan-from-bugbears) from [@shaerahaek](http://shaerahaek.tumblr.com/). 
> 
>  
> 
> As always, comments are very welcome and also helpful <3
> 
> And you can check me out on tumblr at <http://kaiyouchan.tumblr.com/>


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